Gene-editing in patient and humanized-mice primary muscle stem cells rescues dysferlin expression in dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy

Authors:
Escobar H, Di Francescantonio S, Smirnova J, Graf R, Müthel S, Marg A, Zhogov A, Krishna S, Metzler E, Petkova M, Daumke O, Kühn R, Spuler S
In:
Source: Nat Commun.
Publication Date: (2025)
Issue: 16(1): 120
Research Area:
Cancer Research/Cell Biology
Cardiovascular
Stem Cells
Basic Research
Molecular Biology
Regenerative medicine
Cells used in publication:
Muscle stem cells
Species: mouse
Tissue Origin:
Platform:
4D-Nucleofector® X-Unit
Experiment

Human MuSC nucleofection
Primary human MuSC nucleofection was performed as described 25. Briefly, cells were harvested using TrypLE Express, centrifuged for 5min at 200×g, and washed once with DPBS. After a second spin down and supernatant removal, 150,000 cells were resuspended in 20 µl of P5 Primary Cell Nucleofector Solution (Lonza) already containing mRNA and sgRNA when applicable. For 3 µg of SpCas9 mRNA (Aldrevron), 2 µg of 5'/3'-end-modified sgRNA (Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) or Synthego) (1:0.67 mass ratio) were added per nucleofection reaction. Cells were electroporated with the Amaxa 4D Nucleofector (Lonza) using the X Unit with 16-well nucleofection
cuvettes. Next, 80 µl of prewarmed SMCGM were added to each cuvette and cells were transferred to a single well of a 6-well plate containing 2 ml of prewarmed SMCGM. Medium was changed after 24 h.

Abstract

Dystrophy-associated fer-1-like protein (dysferlin) conducts plasma membrane repair. Mutations in the DYSF gene cause a panoply of genetic muscular dystrophies. We targeted a frequent loss-of-function, DYSF exon 44, founder frameshift mutation with mRNA-mediated delivery of SpCas9 in combination with a mutation-specific sgRNA to primary muscle stem cells from two homozygous patients. We observed a consistent >60% exon 44 re-framing, rescuing a full-length and functional dysferlin protein. A new mouse model harboring a humanized Dysf exon 44 with the founder mutation, hEx44mut, recapitulates the patients' phenotype and an identical re-framing outcome in primary muscle stem cells. Finally, gene-edited murine primary muscle stem-cells are able to regenerate muscle and rescue dysferlin when transplanted back into hEx44mut hosts. These findings are the first to show that a CRISPR-mediated therapy can ameliorate dysferlin deficiency. We suggest that gene-edited primary muscle stem cells could exhibit utility, not only in treating dysferlin deficiency syndromes, but also perhaps other forms of muscular dystrophy.