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Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated correction of CFTR splicing improves chloride secretion in cystic fibrosis patient-derived bronchial epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, encoding an anion channel that conducts chloride and bicarbonate across epithelial membranes. Mutations that disrupt pre-mRNA splicing occur in >15% of CF cases. One common CFTR splicing mutation is CFTR c.3718-2477C>T (3849+10 kb C>T), which creates a new 5' splice site, resulting in splicing to a cryptic exon with a premature termination codon. Splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have emerged as an effective therapeutic strategy to block aberrant splicing. We test an ASO targeting the CFTR c.3718-2477C>T mutation and show that it effectively blocks aberrant splicing in primary bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells from CF patients with the mutation. ASO treatment results in long-term improvement in CFTR activity in hBE cells, as demonstrated by a recovery of chloride secretion and apical membrane conductance. We also show that the ASO is more effective at recovering chloride secretion in our assay than ivacaftor, the potentiator treatment currently available to these patients. Our findings demonstrate the utility of ASOs in correcting CFTR expression and channel activity in a manner expected to be therapeutic in patients.

SUBMITTER: Michaels WE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7367209 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated correction of CFTR splicing improves chloride secretion in cystic fibrosis patient-derived bronchial epithelial cells.

Michaels Wren E WE Bridges Robert J RJ Hastings Michelle L ML

Nucleic acids research 20200701 13

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, encoding an anion channel that conducts chloride and bicarbonate across epithelial membranes. Mutations that disrupt pre-mRNA splicing occur in >15% of CF cases. One common CFTR splicing mutation is CFTR c.3718-2477C>T (3849+10 kb C>T), which creates a new 5' splice site, resulting in splicing to a cryptic exon with a premature termination codon. Splice-switching ...[more]

PMID: 32520327

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Project description:Although lung disease is the major cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF), gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are the first hallmarks in 15-20% of affected newborns presenting with meconium ileus, and remain major causes of morbidity throughout life. We have previously shown that cGMP-dependent phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors rescue defective CF Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR)-dependent chloride transport across the mouse CF nasal mucosa. Using F508del-CF mice, we examined the transrectal potential difference 1 hour after intraperitoneal injection of the PDE5 inhibitor vardenafil or saline to assess the amiloride-sensitive sodium transport and the chloride gradient and forskolin-dependent chloride transport across the GI tract. In the same conditions, we performed immunohistostaining studies in distal colon to investigate CFTR expression and localization. F508del-CF mice displayed increased sodium transport and reduced chloride transport compared to their wild-type littermates. Vardenafil, applied at a human therapeutic dose (0.14 mg/kg) used to treat erectile dysfunction, increased chloride transport in F508del-CF mice. No effect on sodium transport was detected. In crypt colonocytes of wild-type mice, the immunofluorescence CFTR signal was mostly detected in the apical cell compartment. In F508del-CF mice, a 25% reduced signal was observed, located mostly in the subapical region. Vardenafil increased the peak of intensity of the fluorescence CFTR signal in F508del-CF mice and displaced it towards the apical cell compartment. Our findings point out the intestinal mucosa as a valuable tissue to study CFTR transport function and localization and to evaluate efficacy of therapeutic strategies in CF. From our data we conclude that vardenafil mediates potentiation of the CFTR chloride channel and corrects mislocalization of the mutant protein. The study provides compelling support for targeting the cGMP signaling pathway in CF pharmacotherapy.

Project description:BACKGROUND: F508del-CFTR, the most frequent disease-causing mutation among Caucasian cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, has been characterised as a mutant defective in protein folding, processing and trafficking. We have investigated the two neighbouring cytokeratin genes KRT8 and KRT18 in a candidate gene approach to ask whether variants in KRT8 and/or KRT18 modify the impaired ion conductance known as the CF basic defect, and whether they are associated with correct trafficking of mutant CFTR and disease severity of CF. METHODS: We have selected contrasting F508del-CFTR homozygous patient subpopulations stratified for disease severity, comparing 13 concordant mildly affected sib pairs vs. 12 concordant severely affected sib pairs, or manifestation of the CF basic defect in intestinal epithelium, comparing 22 individuals who exhibit CFTR-mediated residual chloride secretion vs. 14 individuals who do not express any chloride secretion, for an association. The KRT8/KRT18 locus was initially interrogated with one informative microsatellite marker. Subsequently, a low density SNP map with four SNPs in KRT8 and two SNPs in KRT18, each selected for high polymorphism content, was used to localize the association signal. RESULTS: KRT8, but not KRT18, showed an association with CF disease severity (Pbest=0.00131; Pcorr=0.0185) and CFTR mediated residual chloride secretion (Pbest=0.0004; Pcorr=0.0069). Two major four-marker-haplotypes spanning 13 kb including the entire KRT8 gene accounted for 90% of chromosomes, demonstrating strong linkage disequilibrium at that locus. Absence of chloride secretion was associated with the recessive haplotype 1122 at rs1907671, rs4300473, rs2035878 and rs2035875. The contrasting haplotype 2211 was dominant for the presence of CFTR mediated residual chloride secretion. In consistency, the KRT8 haplotype 2211 was associated with mild CF disease while 1122 was observed as risk haplotype. Analysis of microsatellite allele distributions on the SNP background suggests that the mild KRT8 haplotype 2211 is phylogenetically older than its severe counterpart. CONCLUSIONS: The two opposing KRT8 alleles which have been identified as a benign and as a risk allele in this work are likely effective in the context of epithelial cell differentiation. As the mild KRT8 allele is associated with CFTR mediated residual chloride secretion among F508del-CFTR homozygotes, the KRT8/KRT18 heterodimeric intermediary filaments of the cytoskeleton apparently are an essential component for the proper targeting of CFTR to the apical membrane in epithelial cells.

Dataset Information

Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated correction of CFTR splicing improves chloride secretion in cystic fibrosis patient-derived bronchial epithelial cells.

Publications

Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated correction of CFTR splicing improves chloride secretion in cystic fibrosis patient-derived bronchial epithelial cells.

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