Smart-watch-programmed green-light-operated percutaneous control of therapeutic transgenes

Nat Commun. 2021 Jun 7;12(1):3388. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23572-4.

Abstract

Wearable smart electronic devices, such as smart watches, are generally equipped with green-light-emitting diodes, which are used for photoplethysmography to monitor a panoply of physical health parameters. Here, we present a traceless, green-light-operated, smart-watch-controlled mammalian gene switch (Glow Control), composed of an engineered membrane-tethered green-light-sensitive cobalamin-binding domain of Thermus thermophilus (TtCBD) CarH protein in combination with a synthetic cytosolic TtCBD-transactivator fusion protein, which manage translocation of TtCBD-transactivator into the nucleus to trigger expression of transgenes upon illumination. We show that Apple-Watch-programmed percutaneous remote control of implanted Glow-controlled engineered human cells can effectively treat experimental type-2 diabetes by producing and releasing human glucagon-like peptide-1 on demand. Directly interfacing wearable smart electronic devices with therapeutic gene expression will advance next-generation personalized therapies by linking biopharmaceutical interventions to the internet of things.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / radiation effects*
  • Cell Engineering
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / therapy*
  • Female
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / genetics
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / metabolism
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / therapeutic use*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Light
  • Male
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells
  • Mice
  • Mice, Obese
  • Optogenetics / instrumentation
  • Optogenetics / methods*
  • Photoplethysmography / instrumentation
  • Protein Domains / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / radiation effects
  • Thermus thermophilus / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Trans-Activators / radiation effects*
  • Transgenes
  • Wearable Electronic Devices

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide 1