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1. Integrating Biomaterials and Genome Editing Approaches to Advance Biomedical Science

   https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-bioeng-122019-121602  

   Abdeen, Amr A.; Cosgrove, Brian D.; Gersbach, Charles A.; Saha, Krishanu (July 2021, Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering)

   null (Ed.)

   The recent discovery and subsequent development of the CRISPR–Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat–CRISPR-associated protein 9) platform as a precise genome editing tool have transformed biomedicine. As these CRISPR-based tools have matured, multiple stages of the gene editing process and the bioengineering of human cells and tissues have advanced. Here, we highlight recent intersections in the development of biomaterials and genome editing technologies. These intersections include the delivery of macromolecules, where biomaterial platforms have been harnessed to enable nonviral delivery of genome engineering tools to cells and tissues in vivo. Further, engineering native-like biomaterial platforms for cell culture facilitates complex modeling of human development and disease when combined with genome engineering tools. Deeper integration of biomaterial platforms in these fields could play a significant role in enabling new breakthroughs in the application of gene editing for the treatment of human disease. 

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2. Germline mutagenesis of Nasonia vitripennis through ovarian delivery of CRISPR‐Cas9 ribonucleoprotein

   https://doi.org/10.1111/imb.12663  

   Chaverra‐Rodriguez, D.; Dalla_Benetta, E.; Heu, C_C; Rasgon, J_L; Ferree, P_M; Akbari, O_S (August 2020, Insect Molecular Biology)

   Abstract CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is a powerful technology to study the genetics of rising model organisms, such as the jewel waspNasonia vitripennis. However, current methods involving embryonic microinjection of CRISPR reagents are challenging. Delivery of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein into female ovaries is an alternative that has only been explored in a small handful of insects, such as mosquitoes, whiteflies and beetles. Here, we developed a simple protocol for germline gene editing by injecting Cas9 ribonucleoprotein in adultN. vitripennisfemales using either ReMOT control (Receptor‐Mediated Ovary Transduction of Cargo) or BAPC (Branched Amphiphilic Peptide Capsules) as ovary delivery methods. For ReMOT Control we used theDrosophila melanogaster‐derived peptide ‘P2C’ fused to EGFP to visualize the ovary delivery, and fused to Cas9 protein for gene editing of thecinnabargene using saponin as an endosomal escape reagent. For BAPC we optimized the concentrations of protein, sgRNA and the transfection reagent. We demonstrate delivery of protein cargo such as EGFP and Cas9 into developing oocytes via P2C peptide and BAPC. Additionally, somatic and germline gene editing were demonstrated. This approach will greatly facilitate CRISPR‐applied genetic manipulation in this and other rising model organisms. 

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3. In Vivo Editing of Macrophages through Systemic Delivery of CRISPR‐Cas9‐Ribonucleoprotein‐Nanoparticle Nanoassemblies

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adtp.201900041  

   Lee, Yi‐Wei; Mout, Rubul; Luther, David_C; Liu, Yuanchang; Castellanos‐García, Laura; Burnside, Amy_S; Ray, Moumita; Tonga, Gulen_Yeşilbag; Hardie, Joseph; Nagaraj, Harini; et al (August 2019, Advanced Therapeutics)

   Abstract Macrophages are key effectors of host defense and metabolism, making them promising targets for transient genetic therapy. Gene editing through the delivery of Cas9‐ribonucleoprotein (RNP) provides multiple advantages over gene delivery–based strategies for introducing CRISPR machinery to the cell. There are, however, significant physiological, cellular, and intracellular barriers to the effective delivery of the Cas9 protein and guide RNA (sgRNA) that have to date, restricted in vivo Cas9 protein–based approaches to local/topical delivery applications. Described herein is a new nanoassembled platform featuring coengineered nanoparticles and Cas9 protein that has been developed to provide efficient Cas9‐sgRNA delivery and concomitant CRISPR editing through systemic tail‐vein injection into mice, achieving >8% gene editing efficiency in macrophages of the liver and spleen. 

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4. Reversible RNA acylation for control of CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC03639C  

   Habibian, Maryam; McKinlay, Colin; Blake, Timothy R.; Kietrys, Anna M.; Waymouth, Robert M.; Wender, Paul A.; Kool, Eric T. (January 2020, Chemical Science)

   null (Ed.)

   We report the development of post-transcriptional chemical methods that enable control over CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing activity both in in vitro assays and in living cells. We show that an azide-substituted acyl imidazole reagent (NAI-N 3 ) efficiently acylates CRISPR single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) in 20 minutes in buffer. Poly-acylated (“cloaked”) sgRNA was completely inactive in DNA cleavage with Cas9 in vitro , and activity was quantitatively restored after phosphine treatment. Delivery of cloaked sgRNA and Cas9 mRNA into HeLa cells was enabled by the use of charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs), which outperformed commercial transfection reagents in transfecting sgRNA co-complexed with Cas9 encoding functional mRNA. Genomic DNA cleavage in the cells by CRISPR–Cas9 was efficiently restored after treatment with phosphine to remove the blocking acyl groups. Our results highlight the utility of reversible RNA acylation as a novel method for temporal control of genome-editing function. 

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5. Efficient expression of multiple guide RNAs for CRISPR/Cas genome editing

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s42994-019-00014-w  

   Hsieh-Feng, Vicki; Yang, Yinong (January 2020, aBIOTECH)

   The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated protein system (CRISPR/Cas) has recently become the most powerful tool available for genome engineering in various organisms. With efficient and proper expression of multiple guide RNAs (gRNAs), the CRISPR/Cas system is particularly suitable for multiplex genome editing. During the past several years, different CRISPR/Cas expression strategies, such as two-component transcriptional unit, single transcriptional unit, and bidirectional promoter systems, have been developed to efficiently express gRNAs as well as Cas nucleases. Significant progress has been made to optimize gRNA production using different types of promoters and RNA processing strategies such as ribozymes, endogenous RNases, and exogenous endoribonuclease (Csy4). Besides being constitutively and ubiquitously expressed, inducible and spa- tiotemporal regulations of gRNA expression have been demonstrated using inducible, tissue-specific, and/or synthetic promoters for specific research purposes. Most recently, the emergence of CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoprotein delivery methods, such as engineered nanoparticles, further revolutionized trans- gene-free and multiplex genome editing. In this review, we discuss current strategies and future per- spectives for efficient expression and engineering of gRNAs with a goal to facilitate CRISPR/Cas-based multiplex genome editing. 

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