Background: β-Thalassemias represent a group of genetic disorders caused by human hemoglobin beta (HBB) gene mutations. The radical curative approach is to correct the mutations causing the disease. CRISPR-CAS9 is a novel gene-editing technology that can be used auspiciously for the treatment of these disorders. The study aimed to investigate the utility of CRISPR-CAS9 for gene modification of hematopoietic stem cells in β-thalassemia with IVS-1-110 mutation.
Methods and results: We successfully isolated CD34+ cells from peripheral blood of β-thalassemia patients with IVS-1-110 mutation. The cells were transfected with Cas9 endonuclease together with guide RNA to create double-strand breaks and knock out the mutation. The mutation-corrected CD34+ cells were subjected to erythroid differentiation by culturing in complete media containing erythropoietin.
Conclusion: CRISPR/Cas-9 is an effective tool for gene therapy that will broaden the spectrum of therapy and potentially improve the outcomes of β-thalassemia.
Keywords: CRISPR/Cas-9; Hematopoietic stem cells; Hemoglobin beta gene mutation; Reverse hybridization; Thalassemia.