About this Research Topic

Background

Improvements in sequencing technologies have increased our ability to diagnose genetic diseases, while effective interventions lag behind. The development of tools to edit DNA and the increased understanding of DNA repair mechanisms have enabled new therapeutic modalities for the treatment of genetic diseases. Site-specific genome editing can be used to correct disease-causative mutations, insert a functional copy of a defective gene, and ultimately modulate metabolic pathways by disrupting or enhancing the expression of key biochemical processes.
Several therapeutic strategies based on genome editing are currently tested in human clinical trials for the treatment of monogenic diseases. Ex-vivo genome editing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is being tested for beta-Thalassemia and Sickle cell disease while in-vivo genome editing of retinal photoreceptor cells is being applied to Leber Congenital Amaurosis type 10 (LCA10). For metabolic diseases or inborn errors of metabolism, despite many promising proof-of-concept studies in animal models, only in-vivo hepatic genome editing has been tested clinically to convert the growing liver in a factory organ for enzymes deficient in lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs).

Metabolic diseases, also known as inborn errors of metabolism, are a large group of genetic diseases that represent a large unmet medical need. For many of these diseases, the pathophysiology is potentially trackable using genome editing. However, these diseases pose a unique set of challenges. Many are multi-systemic in nature and therefore require the targeting of multiple cell-types/organs. Some are rapidly progressive which augments the need for approaches that can provide rapid metabolic compensation. Finally, most individuals affected are children which poses additional operational and ethical complications for clinical testing. Like other monogenetic diseases the road to the clinic is still challenged by the low efficiency of in-vivo therapeutic editing in target cells and the limited availability of cells with regenerative potential for all affected organs that can be targeted ex-vivo.

In this Research Topic, hosted by Frontiers in Genome Editing, we will feature original articles reporting ex-vivo and in-vivo genome editing/engineering approaches aimed at treating monogenic metabolic and neurometabolic diseases.

To this aim, this Research Topic encourages the submission of articles focused on:
- genome editing/engineering of cells either ex-vivo or in-vivo and the characterization of their ability to correct the disease phenotype in a relevant disease model (cellular/animal)
- the optimization of genome editing tools/strategies to facilitate their application and clinical translation for the treatment of monogenic metabolic and neurometabolic diseases
- the current limitations of genome editing tools/strategies in terms of efficiency, efficacy, delivery, immunogenicity, side-effects/genotoxicity.

This Research topic welcomes the submissions of original articles in the form of Original Research, Brief Research Report, Case Report, Methods, Reviews, Mini Review, Perspective.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the correction of gene/pathways underlying metabolic and neurometabolic diseases via:
• Ex-vivo genome editing of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), and other therapeutically relevant cells
• Ex-vivo genome editing using iPSCs, ESCs, or other stem cells
• In-vivo genome editing
• Genome editing of the disease causative gene-locus
• Genome editing of a disease-modifier locus
• Genome editing at a safe-harbor locus
• Nuclease-dependent genome editing using Cas9, TALEN, Meganucleases, and others.
• Nuclease-independent genome editing using Prime Editing, Base Editing, Gene Ride, Transcriptional activator/repressors, and others.
• Homology-mediated genome editing via homology directed repair (HDR), and other homology-driven mechanisms.
• Homology-independent genome editing via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), homology-independent targeted integration (HITI), and others.

Dr. Gomez-Ospina is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Graphite Bio.

Cover image created with BioRender.com.

Keywords: Genome editing/engineering, ex-vivo editing, in-vivo editing, metabolic diseases, neurometabolic diseases

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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