CircSHAPE-MaP of EPIC
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): synthetic construct
PROVIDER: GSE248679 | GEO | 2024/03/04
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Efforts to advance RNA aptamers as a novel therapeutic modality have been limited by their susceptibilty to degradation and immunogenicity. In a previous study, we demonstrated synthesized double-stranded circular RNAs (ds-cRNAs) with minimal immunogenicity targeted to dsRNA-activated Protein Kinase R (PKR). Here, we test the therapeutic potential of ds-cRNAs in a mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis. We find that genetic supplementation of ds-cRNAs leads to inhibition of PKR, resulting in alleviation of downstream interferon alpha (IFNα)/dsRNA signals and attenuation of psoriasis phenotypes. Delivery of ds-cRNAs by lipid nanoparticles to the spleen attenuates PKR activity in examined splenocytes, resulting in reduced epidermal thickness. These findings suggest that ds-cRNAs represent a promising approach to mitigate excessive PKR activation for therapeutic purposes.
2024-03-04 | GSE253346 | GEO
Project description:Efforts to advance RNA aptamers as a novel therapeutic modality have been limited by their susceptibilty to degradation and immunogenicity. In a previous study, we demonstrated synthesized double-stranded circular RNAs (ds-cRNAs) with minimal immunogenicity targeted to dsRNA-activated Protein Kinase R (PKR). Here, we test the therapeutic potential of ds-cRNAs in a mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis. We find that genetic supplementation of ds-cRNAs leads to inhibition of PKR, resulting in alleviation of downstream interferon alpha (IFNα)/dsRNA signals and attenuation of psoriasis phenotypes. Delivery of ds-cRNAs by lipid nanoparticles to the spleen attenuates PKR activity in examined splenocytes, resulting in reduced epidermal thickness. These findings suggest that ds-cRNAs represent a promising approach to mitigate excessive PKR activation for therapeutic purposes.
2024-03-04 | GSE248678 | GEO
Project description:Efforts to advance RNA aptamers as a novel therapeutic modality have been limited by their susceptibilty to degradation and immunogenicity. In a previous study, we demonstrated synthesized double-stranded circular RNAs (ds-cRNAs) with minimal immunogenicity targeted to dsRNA-activated Protein Kinase R (PKR). Here, we test the therapeutic potential of ds-cRNAs in a mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis. We find that genetic supplementation of ds-cRNAs leads to inhibition of PKR, resulting in alleviation of downstream interferon alpha (IFNα)/dsRNA signals and attenuation of psoriasis phenotypes. Delivery of ds-cRNAs by lipid nanoparticles to the spleen attenuates PKR activity in examined splenocytes, resulting in reduced epidermal thickness. These findings suggest that ds-cRNAs represent a promising approach to mitigate excessive PKR activation for therapeutic purposes.
2024-03-04 | GSE248680 | GEO
Project description:Exon(s) back-splicing-generated circular RNAs as a group can suppress the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase R (PKR) in cells. We have sought to synthesize immunogenicity-free, short dsRNA-containing circular RNAs as potent PKR inhibitors. Here, we report that circular RNAs synthesized by permuted td introns from T4 bacteriophage and by Anabeana pre-tRNA group I intron induce an immune response. Mechanistically, autocatalytic splicing introduces extra ~74 nt and ~186 nt fragments (E1+E2+spacer) that form additional stable loop structures that likely provoke innate immune responses in circular RNA products. In contrast, circular RNAs produced by T4 RNA ligase without unwanted fragment exhibit little immunogenicity. Importantly, directly-ligated circular RNAs form short dsRNA-regions exhibit 103~106 fold higher efficiency than the reported chemical compounds C16 and 2-AP in suppressing PKR activation, highlighting the use of circular RNAs as novel inhibitors for PKR over-reaction diseases.
2021-12-23 | GSE183941 | GEO
Project description:Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 2 (EIF2AK2), better known as PKR plays a key role in the response to viral infections and cellular homeostasis by regulating mRNA translation. Upon binding dsRNA, PKR is activated through homodimerization and subsequent autophosphorylation on Thr446 and Thr451 residues. In this study, we identified a novel PKR phosphorylation site, Ser6, located 3 aminoacids upstream the first double-stranded RNA binding domain (DRBM1). Another Ser residue occurs in PKR at position 97, the very same position relative to the DRBM2. Ser or Thr residues also occur 3 amino acids upstream DRBMs of other proteins such as ADAR1 or DICER. Phosphoinhibiting mutations (Ser-to-Ala) introduced at Ser6 and Ser97 spontaneously activated PKR. In contrast, phosphomimetic mutations (Ser-to-Asp) inhibited PKR activation following either poly (I:C) transfection or virus infection. These mutations moderately affected dsRNA binding, suggesting a model where negative charges occuring at position 6 and 97 tighten the interaction of DRBMs with the kinase domain, thus keeping PKR in an inactive, closed conformation even in the presence of dsRNA. This study provides new insights on PKR regulation mechanisms and identifies Ser6 and Ser97 as potential targets to modulate PKR activity for therapeutic purposes
2021-05-10 | PXD022564 | Pride
Project description:The antiviral defense in vertebrates requires the innate immune system to sense foreign “non-self” nucleic acids while avoiding “self” nucleic acids, which is accomplished by an intricate system. Cellular double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are edited by the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 to prevent their dsRNA structure pattern from being recognized as viral dsRNA. Lack of RNA editing by ADAR1 enables activation of MDA5, a cytosolic dsRNA sensor, by cellular dsRNA. Additional RNA editing- independent functions of ADAR1 have been proposed, but the specific mechanism remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that RNA binding by ADAR1, independent of its editing activity, restricts the activation of PKR, another cytosolic dsRNA sensor, by cellular dsRNA. Mechanistically, the loss of ADAR1 editing caused MDA5 activation to induce interferon signaling, while a lack of ADAR1 protein or its dsRNA binding ability led to PKR activation, with subsequent stress granule formation and proliferation arrest. Based on these findings we rescued the Adar1−/− mice from embryonic lethality to adulthood by deleting both MDA5 and PKR, in contrast to the limited rescue of Adar1−/− mice by removing MDA5 or PKR alone. Our findings reveal a multifaceted contribution of ADAR1 in regulating the immunogenicity of “self” dsRNAs. Furthermore, ADAR1 is an immuno-oncology target for drug development, and the separation of ADAR1’s RNA editing and binding functions provides mechanistic insights for such developments.
2023-10-03 | GSE198386 | GEO
Project description:Protein kinase R (PKR), an innate immune sensor for double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), is critical for antiviral defense, but its aberrant activation by cellular dsRNA is linked to various diseases. The dsRNA-binding protein PACT plays a crucial and controversial role in the PKR pathway. We demonstrate that PACT is an essential negative regulator of PKR against endogenous dsRNA ligands like inverted repeat Alu RNAs, which satisfy PKR’s selectivity for long dsRNA and robustly activate PKR in the absence of PACT. PACT employs an unusual inhibitory mechanism sensitive to dsRNA length and concentration, inhibiting PKR through low-affinity interactions most effective when both are bound to the same dsRNA molecule. Consequently, PACT’s inhibition of PKR is more robust when dsRNA is longer and less abundant, with minimal effect on abundant or short dsRNA. Thus, PACT functions as a rheostat, setting the PKR activation threshold for long endogenous dsRNA without altering its inherent activity.
2024-06-16 | GSE269684 | GEO
Project description:Emerging data suggest that induction of viral mimicry responses through activation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) sensors in cancer cells is a promising therapeutic strategy. One approach to induce viral mimicry is to target molecular regulators of dsRNA sensing pathways. Here, we show that the exoribonuclease XRN1 is a negative regulator of the dsRNA sensor protein kinase R (PKR) in cancer cells with high interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression. XRN1 deletion causes PKR pathway activation and consequent cancer cell lethality. Disruption of interferon signaling with the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib can decrease cellular PKR levels and rescue sensitivity to XRN1 deletion. Conversely, interferon-b stimulation can increase PKR levels and induce sensitivity to XRN1 inactivation. Lastly, XRN1 deletion causes accumulation of endogenous complementary sense/anti-sense RNAs, which may represent candidate PKR ligands. Our data demonstrate how XRN1 regulates PKR, and how this interaction creates a vulnerability in cancer cells with an activated interferon cell state.
2024-04-17 | GSE248036 | GEO
Project description:A disappointingly small proportion (10-30%) of patients with cancer show lasting responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based monotherapies. The RNA-editing enzyme ADAR1 is an emerging determinant of resistance to ICB therapy, and prevents ICB responsiveness by repressing immunogenic double-stranded (ds)RNAs, such as those arising from the dysregulated expression of endogenous retroelements (EREs). These dsRNAs trigger an interferon (IFN)-dependent antitumor response by activating the A-form dsRNA (A-RNA) sensing proteins MDA-5, PKR, and OAS1. Here, we show that ADAR1 also prevents accrual of endogenous Z-form dsRNA elements (Z-RNAs) which were enriched in the 3’UTRs of IFN-stimulated mRNAs. Depleting ADAR1 resulted in Z-RNA accumulation and activation of the Z-RNA sensor ZBP1, culminating in RIPK3-mediated necroptosis. As no clinically viable ADAR1 inhibitors currently exist, we searched for a compound that can override the requirement for ADAR1 inhibition and directly activate ZBP1. We identified a small molecule, the curaxin CBL0137, which potently activates ZBP1 by triggering Z-DNA formation in cells. CBL0137 induced ZBP1-dependent necroptosis in cancer-associated fibroblasts and strongly reversed ICB unresponsiveness in mouse models of melanoma. Collectively, these results demonstrate that ADAR1 represses endogenous Z-RNAs and identifies ZBP1-mediated necroptosis as a new determinant of tumor immunogenicity masked by ADAR1. Therapeutic activation of ZBP1-induced necroptosis provides a readily-translatable avenue for rekindling immune responsiveness of ICB-resistant human cancers.
2022-03-03 | GSE184960 | GEO
Project description:A disappointingly small proportion (10-30%) of patients with cancer show lasting responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based monotherapies. The RNA-editing enzyme ADAR1 is an emerging determinant of resistance to ICB therapy, and prevents ICB responsiveness by repressing immunogenic double-stranded (ds)RNAs, such as those arising from the dysregulated expression of endogenous retroelements (EREs). These dsRNAs trigger an interferon (IFN)-dependent antitumor response by activating the A-form dsRNA (A-RNA) sensing proteins MDA-5, PKR, and OAS1. Here, we show that ADAR1 also prevents accrual of endogenous Z-form dsRNA elements (Z-RNAs) which were enriched in the 3’UTRs of IFN-stimulated mRNAs. Depleting ADAR1 resulted in Z-RNA accumulation and activation of the Z-RNA sensor ZBP1, culminating in RIPK3-mediated necroptosis. As no clinically viable ADAR1 inhibitors currently exist, we searched for a compound that can override the requirement for ADAR1 inhibition and directly activate ZBP1. We identified a small molecule, the curaxin CBL0137, which potently activates ZBP1 by triggering Z-DNA formation in cells. CBL0137 induced ZBP1-dependent necroptosis in cancer-associated fibroblasts and strongly reversed ICB unresponsiveness in mouse models of melanoma. Collectively, these results demonstrate that ADAR1 represses endogenous Z-RNAs and identifies ZBP1-mediated necroptosis as a new determinant of tumor immunogenicity masked by ADAR1. Therapeutic activation of ZBP1-induced necroptosis provides a readily-translatable avenue for rekindling immune responsiveness of ICB-resistant human cancers.
2022-03-03 | GSE184964 | GEO