Choroideremia is a progressive genetic eye disorder caused by mutations in the CHM gene that encodes the Rab escort protein-1 (REP-1). One of the many CHM mutations described so far is a deep-intronic variant, c.315-4587T>A, that creates a novel splice acceptor site resulting in the insertion of a 98-bp pseudoexon in the CHM transcript. Antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) are a potential therapeutic tool for correcting splice defects, as they have the properties to bind to the pre-mRNA and redirect the splicing process. Previously, we used AONs to correct aberrant splicing events caused by a recurrent intronic mutation in CEP290 underlying Leber congenital amaurosis. Here, we expand the use of these therapeutic molecules for the c.315-4587T>A deep-intronic mutation in CHM by demonstrating splice correction in patient-derived lymphoblast cells.
Keywords: AON; Antisense oligonucleotide; CHM; Choroideremia; Genetic therapy; Intronic mutation; Splice modulation.