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Using Genome Editing to Engineer Universal Platelets

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Mueller, Annett 

Abstract

Genome editing technologies such as Zinc Finger nucleases, TALENS and CRISPR/Cas9 have recently emerged as tools with the potential to revolutionise cellular therapy. This is particularly exciting for the field of regenerative medicine, where the large-scale, quality controlled editing of large numbers of cells could generate essential cellular products ready to move towards the clinic. This review details recent progress towards generating HLA Class-I null platelets using genome editing technologies for beta-2-microglobulin deletion, generating a universally transfusable cellular product. In addition, we discuss various methods for megakaryocyte (MK) production from human pluripotent stem cells and subsequent platelet production from the MKs. As well as simply producing platelets, differentiating MK cultures can enable us to understand megakaryopoeisis in vivo and take steps towards ameliorating bleeding disorders or deficiencies in MK maturation in patients. Thus by intersecting both these areas of research, we can produce optimised differentiation systems for the production of universal platelets, thus offering a stable supply of platelets for difficult-to-match patients and providing areas with transmissible disease concerns or an unpredictable supply of platelets with a steady supply of quality controlled platelet units.

Description

Keywords

StemCellInstitute

Journal Title

Emerging Topics in Life Sciences

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2397-8554
2397-8562

Volume Title

3

Publisher

Portland Press

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (079249/Z/06/Z)
MRC (via University of Sheffield) (135894 CA)
Medical Research Council (MR/R015724/1)
UK Regenerative Medicine Platform and the Pluripotent and Engineered Cell Hub. Research in the laboratory is supported by core funding from Wellcome and MRC to the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute