CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are an effective and well-established tool in the growing gene therapy field, with five U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved AAV-mediated gene therapies already on the market and numerous more in clinical trials. However, manufacturing rAAV vec...

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Main Authors: Emily E. O’Driscoll, Sakshi Arora, Jonathan F. Lang, Beverly L. Davidson, Ophir Shalem
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Molecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050125000038
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author Emily E. O’Driscoll
Sakshi Arora
Jonathan F. Lang
Beverly L. Davidson
Ophir Shalem
author_facet Emily E. O’Driscoll
Sakshi Arora
Jonathan F. Lang
Beverly L. Davidson
Ophir Shalem
author_sort Emily E. O’Driscoll
collection DOAJ
description Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are an effective and well-established tool in the growing gene therapy field, with five U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved AAV-mediated gene therapies already on the market and numerous more in clinical trials. However, manufacturing rAAV vectors is an expensive, timely, and labor-intensive process that limits the commercial use of AAV-mediated gene therapies. To address this limitation, we screened producer cells for genes that could be targeted to increase rAAV yield. Specifically, we performed a CRISPR-based genome-wide knockout (KO) screen in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells using an antibody specific to intact AAV2 capsids coupled with flow cytometry to identify genes that modulate rAAV production. We discovered that the KO of a group of heparan sulfate biosynthesis genes previously implicated in rAAV infectivity decreased rAAV production. Additionally, we identified several vesicular trafficking proteins for which KO in HEK 293 cells increased rAAV yields. Our findings provide evidence that host proteins associated with viral infection may have also been co-opted for viral assembly and that the genetic makeup of viral producer cells can be manipulated to increase particle yield.
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issn 2329-0501
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publishDate 2025-03-01
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series Molecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development
spelling doaj-art-cf6a2e2650fb4729bb4c569a25e00d772025-02-04T04:10:27ZengElsevierMolecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development2329-05012025-03-01331101408CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector productionEmily E. O’Driscoll0Sakshi Arora1Jonathan F. Lang2Beverly L. Davidson3Ophir Shalem4Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USACenter for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USACenter for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USACenter for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Corresponding author: Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Corresponding author: Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are an effective and well-established tool in the growing gene therapy field, with five U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved AAV-mediated gene therapies already on the market and numerous more in clinical trials. However, manufacturing rAAV vectors is an expensive, timely, and labor-intensive process that limits the commercial use of AAV-mediated gene therapies. To address this limitation, we screened producer cells for genes that could be targeted to increase rAAV yield. Specifically, we performed a CRISPR-based genome-wide knockout (KO) screen in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells using an antibody specific to intact AAV2 capsids coupled with flow cytometry to identify genes that modulate rAAV production. We discovered that the KO of a group of heparan sulfate biosynthesis genes previously implicated in rAAV infectivity decreased rAAV production. Additionally, we identified several vesicular trafficking proteins for which KO in HEK 293 cells increased rAAV yields. Our findings provide evidence that host proteins associated with viral infection may have also been co-opted for viral assembly and that the genetic makeup of viral producer cells can be manipulated to increase particle yield.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050125000038AAVrAAV2gene therapyrAAV productionCRISPR screens
spellingShingle Emily E. O’Driscoll
Sakshi Arora
Jonathan F. Lang
Beverly L. Davidson
Ophir Shalem
CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
Molecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development
AAV
rAAV2
gene therapy
rAAV production
CRISPR screens
title CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
title_full CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
title_fullStr CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
title_full_unstemmed CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
title_short CRISPR screen reveals modifiers of rAAV production including known rAAV infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
title_sort crispr screen reveals modifiers of raav production including known raav infection genes playing an unexpected role in vector production
topic AAV
rAAV2
gene therapy
rAAV production
CRISPR screens
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050125000038
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AT jonathanflang crisprscreenrevealsmodifiersofraavproductionincludingknownraavinfectiongenesplayinganunexpectedroleinvectorproduction
AT beverlyldavidson crisprscreenrevealsmodifiersofraavproductionincludingknownraavinfectiongenesplayinganunexpectedroleinvectorproduction
AT ophirshalem crisprscreenrevealsmodifiersofraavproductionincludingknownraavinfectiongenesplayinganunexpectedroleinvectorproduction