Targeting Viral Genomic RNA by the Delivery of Extracellular Vesicles-Mediated CRISPR Machinery

Thursday, 4 April 2024 at 16:30

Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-04 16:30:002024-04-04 17:30:00Europe/LondonTargeting Viral Genomic RNA by the Delivery of Extracellular Vesicles-Mediated CRISPR MachineryExtracellular Vesicles (EVs) and Nanoparticles 2024: Diagnostics, Delivery, Therapeutics in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently been co-opted as vehicles for the delivery of therapeutics, including CRISPR-Cas9 (Cas9), and are now being modified for higher gene editing efficiency. N-myristoylation is known to translocate Src kinase to the membrane. We reasoned that fusion of the N-terminal of Src to Cas9 may increase localization with the membrane, and subsequently increase EV-loading and gene editing efficacy in EV-treated recipient cells. Our study demonstrate that fusion of the octapeptide to Cas9 induced N-myristoylation and encapsulation of the mCas9/sgRNA complex into EVs. We provide proof of concept for N-myristoylation as a method to increase EV-mediated delivery of therapeutics. The technology can be applied for targeting oncogenic genes in prostate cancer cells.

Houjian Cai, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Houjian Cai

Dr. Houjian Cai is an associate professor in the University of Georgia. He received the Ph.D. in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and had his postdoctoral training in the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been studying fatty acylation modifications of proteins for over 17 years. His early study showed that protein palmitoylation is essential for kinase activity of Src family kinases. His lab has further demonstrated that protein myristoylation is essential to regulate the association of proteins in the cell membrane, and mediate cell signal transduction and oncogenic activity in prostate or other cancers. Importantly, fatty acylation is essential for proteins to be encapsulated into extracellular vesicles (EVs). His lab showed that genetically modified Cas9 leads to its myristoylation and facilitates CRISPR machinery to be encapsulated into EVs. His lab has proved the principle that this technology is able to deliver Cas9 and single guide ribonucleoprotein complex via EVs and knock out GFP gene efficiently. He has published numerous manuscripts in these research aspects. His study are supported by numerous research institutions including National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, American Institute for Cancer Research, Georgia Research Alliance, and others.