Engineered U7 Small Nuclear RNA Restores Correct β-Globin Pre-mRNA Splicing in Mouse β^iVS2-654-Thalassemic Erythroid Progenitor Cells

• Main Authors: Annette D'Arqom, Tiwaporn Nualkaew, Natee Jearawiriyapaisarn, Ryszard Kole, Saovaros Svasti
• Other Authors: Universitas Airlangga
• Format: Article
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/76199
• Institution: Mahidol University

Restoration of correct splicing of βIVS2-654-globin pre-mRNA was previously accomplished in erythroid cells from β-thalassemia/HbE patients by an engineered U7 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) that carried a sequence targeted to the cryptic branch point and an exonic splicing enhancer, U7.BP+623 snRNA. In this study, this approach was tested in thalassemic mice carrying the βIVS2-654 mutation. While correction of βIVS2-654 pre-mRNA splicing was achieved in erythroid progenitors transduced with a lentiviral vector carrying the U7.BP+623 snRNA, a high level of truncated U7.BP+623 snRNA was also observed. The discrepancy of processing of the modified U7 snRNA in human and mouse constructs hamper the evaluation of pathologic improvement in mouse model.