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Category Archives: Transhuman News

How Scientists Are Resurrecting Extinct Plants to Study Their Evolution – NYU News

Posted: May 9, 2021 at 11:15 am

In the 1993 film Jurassic Park, scientists bring dinosaurs back from extinction using DNA extracted from mosquitoes that were preserved in amber for millions of years. While dinosaur DNA remains elusive in real life, the idea of resurrecting extinct species is gaining traction in plant genome research.

Researchers from NYU Abu Dhabis Center for Genomics and Systems Biology have successfully sequenced the genome of previously extinct date palm varieties that lived more than 2,000 years ago using a technique called resurrection genomics.The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, marks the first time researchers have sequenced the genomes of plants from ancient germinated seeds.

Rather than dinosaur DNA, the researchers used date palm seeds that were recovered from archaeological sites in modern-day Israel and radiocarbon-dated from the 4th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. The seeds were germinated to yield viable, new plants. The researchers conducted whole genome sequencing of these germinated ancient samples and used these data to examine the genetics of these previously extinct Judean date palms.

By examining the genome of a species (Phoenix dactylifera L.) that thrived millennia ago, NYU Biology Professor Michael D. Purugganan and his NYU Abu Dhabi colleagues, along with research partners in Israel and France, were able to see how these plants evolved over a period of time. In this case, they observed that between the 4th century BCE and 2nd century CE, date palms in the easternMediterranean started to show increasing levels of genes from another species, Phoenix theophrasti, whichtoday grows in Crete and some other Greek islands, as well as southwestern Turkey, as a result of hybridization between species. They conclude that the increasing level of genes from P. theophrasti over this period shows the increasing influence of the Roman Empire in the eastern Mediterranean.

Resurrection genomics offers an alternative to other approaches to sequencing ancient DNA and is particularly useful for ancient and extinct plant species, the researchers note. Ancient plant DNA can be tricky to study, as it easily degrades without the protection of material like bone, and only small quantities are usually foundbut regrowing the whole plant offers new possibilities.

We are fortunate that date palm seeds can live a long timein this case, more than 2,000 yearsand germinate with minimal DNA damage, in the dry environment of the region, said Purugganan, who is also affiliated with NYU Abu Dhabi and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW). This resurrection genomics approach is a remarkably effective way to study the genetics and evolution of past and possibly extinct species like Judean date palms. By reviving biological material such as germinating ancient seeds from archaeological and paleontological sites, or historical collections, we can not only study the genomes of lost populations but also, in some instances, rediscover genes that may have gone extinct in modern varieties.

So, it is likely that scientists will use resurrection genomics to bring dinosaurs back from extinction?

In principle, resurrection genomics can be used to revive extinct species or populations. There is actually an interest in this area. However, dinosaurs are probably not possiblebut certainly plants, if we have seeds, or even bacteria or other microbes are possible, said Purugganan.

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AI is ready to take on a massive healthcare challenge – TechCrunch

Posted: at 11:15 am

Einat Metzer is CEO and co-founder of Emedgene, a leading precision medicine intelligence company.

Which disease results in the highest total economic burden per annum? If you guessed diabetes, cancer, heart disease or even obesity, you guessed wrong. Reaching a mammoth financial burden of $966 billion in 2019, the cost of rare diseases far outpaced diabetes ($327 billion), cancer ($174 billion), heart disease ($214 billion) and other chronic diseases.

Its not surprising that rare diseases didnt come to mind. By definition, a rare disease affects fewer than 200,000 people. However, collectively, there are thousands of rare diseases and those affect around 400 million people worldwide. About half of rare disease patients are children, and the typical patient, young or old, weather a diagnostic odyssey lasting five years or more during which they undergo countless tests and see numerous specialists before ultimately receiving a diagnosis.

Shortening that diagnostic odyssey and reducing the associated costs was, until recently, a moonshot challenge, but is now within reach. About 80% of rare diseases are genetic, and technology and AI advances are combining to make genetic testing widely accessible.

Whole-genome sequencing, an advanced genetic test that allows us to examine the entire human DNA, now costs under $1,000, and market leader Illumina is targeting a $100 genome in the near future.

The remaining challenge is interpreting that data in the context of human health, which is not a trivial challenge. The typical human contains 5 million unique genetic variants and of those we need to identify a single disease-causing variant. Recent advances in cognitive AI allow us to interrogate a persons whole genome sequence and identify disease-causing mechanisms automatically, augmenting human capacity.

The path to a broadly usable AI solution required a paradigm shift from narrow to broader machine learning models. Scientists interpreting genomic data review thousands of data points, collected from different sources, in different formats.

An analysis of a human genome can take as long as eight hours, and there are only a few thousand qualified scientists worldwide. When we reach the $100 genome, analysts are expecting 50 million-60 million people will have their DNA sequenced every year. How will we analyze the data generated in the context of their health? Thats where cognitive intelligence comes in.

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Auburn University researcher part of international effort to tame tough weeds through genomics – Alabama NewsCenter

Posted: at 11:15 am

An Auburn University professor and researcher is one of the founding members of an international group of scientists and industry professionals that has launched an ambitious project aimed at improving understanding of the most intractable species of weeds in the world.

TheInternational Weed Genomics Consortium, or IWGC, comprising 17 academic partners across seven countries, assembles a global community of experts who will develop genomic tools that fundamentally advance humanitys approach to weeds and crops.

The $3 million consortium is supported by $1.5 million in industry sponsorships and matching funds from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, or FFAR, an organization established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Scott McElroy, alumni professor in the College of Agricultures Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, is a founding member of the IWGC, serves on the executive committee and was the initial developer of the group website. His research focuses on weed genomics, identification of herbicide-resistance mechanisms and the evaluation of herbicides for use in turfgrass management.

The goal of the consortium is to sequence genomes of weeds. Without this information, it is extremely difficult to study herbicide resistance, ecology and the evolution of weed species.

Large-scale weed control is usually accomplished by spraying herbicides, but weeds can adapt and evolve resistance to such treatments. Herbicides becoming less effective costs farmers billions of dollars, forcing increased use of unsustainable practices like soil tillage or larger quantities of herbicides. In addition, there is a clear need to make herbicides more environmentally friendly and develop plants with fortified genetics that suffer less from emerging weed species.

Tools from genomics and molecular biology to advance weed science could possibly be applied to crops, and traditional management strategies could be reduced or retired. Genomic information aids in investigations of herbicide resistance mechanisms.

The consortium is finalizing a list of 10 weed species to sequence complete genomes within three years. Among them are annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum), which is especially problematic in Mediterranean-like climates such as southern Australia, southern Europe and California; and tall fleabane (Conyza sumatrensis), which poses major issues in South America.

McElroy, along with colleague Alex Harkess assistant professor and faculty investigator, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville will be assembling the genomes of yellow (Cyperus esculentus) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus).

Palmer amaranth, common ragweed, annual ryegrass and goosegrass have evolved resistance to Roundup in Alabama, along with other herbicides, McElroy said.

Amaranth (pigweed) and ragweed (Ambrosia) species will be the species sequenced most relevant to Alabama, he said. These are some of the most common weed species in Alabama agriculture. From north to south, from east to west, they are a problem in the entire state.

McElroy said the first full genomes will be finished by early 2022 but will not be released publicly until later that year or 2023.

FFARs support will enable the sequencing of additional species beyond the industry-appointed 10, including perennial weeds and aquatic varieties, to drive even more fundamental knowledge of weed biology.

FFAR is proud to support this new effort to tame the threat of weeds, said FFAR Executive Director Sally Rockey. From genome sequencing to training the next generation of agriculture research scientists, the IWGC shows that new research can be the solution to many agriculture challenges.

In addition to the genomes, the team will create user-friendly genome analytical tools and training, particularly to serve early-career weed scientists.

As a key component of the partnership, agricultural biotechnology company KeyGene will develop a tool based on the companys internationally renowned, interactive genomics data management and visualization system, called CropPedia. The cloud-based tool will enable analysis of multiple genomes and provide access to many users at once, giving all partners the latest information in one place.

We are looking forward to working with the International Weed Genomics Consortium partners to maximize the use of translating genomes into science, innovation and products, therewith contributing to a more resilient agricultural ecosystem, said Marcel van Verk, team leader of crop data science at KeyGene.

The planned whole-genome approach to advance knowledge of weed species is a long time coming, according to project director Todd Gaines, associate professor of molecular weed science in Colorado State Universitys (CSU) Department of Agricultural Biology.

When you think about weeds, what makes them great is they are adapted to the harshest situations, Gaines said. They are the most cold-tolerant, the most salt-tolerant, the most heat-tolerant.

Consortium project manager and CSU research scientist Sarah Morran called weeds the wild west of genetics, which is why weeds are such a respectable and fascinating opponent.

Yes, we want to help growers deal with weeds, but to me its more about understanding them, and how we can target them by more integrated pest-management strategies, Morran said. How can we set up these ecosystems where we can work with them a bit better, if we understand their genetics and understand how they are adapting and working?

Another goal of the consortium is to facilitate collaboration and workforce development within the emerging field of molecular weed science. Some of that development will take place through relationships with historically Black colleges and universities, including North Carolina A&T State Universitys Small Farms Resource and Innovation Center. Consortium leaders are seeking to increase representation of traditionally underrepresented groups within the academic and industry pipeline of weed science.

The genomics consortium is working in close partnership with sponsoring company Corteva Agriscience, which will provide the expertise and resources for gold-standard genome assemblies. Corresponding annotations of these assemblies will be led by partners at Michigan State University.

Were proud to contribute our expertise in whole-genome sequencing to this important collaboration, which has the potential to yield industry-shifting insights to benefit farmers, consumers and the environment, said Sam Eathington, chief technology officer at Corteva Agriscience. Stubborn weeds are among the biggest challenges to farmer productivity. The outcomes of this collaboration will enable us to help farmers tackle those challenges in more precise and planet-friendly ways.

Results and information will be shared via annual conferences made possible by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture funding. The first conference is scheduled for Sept. 22-24 in Kansas City, Missouri, with in-person and virtual options.

Founding industry sponsors of the International Weed Genomics Consortium are Bayer CropScience, BASF, Corteva Agriscience, Syngenta and CropLife International. In addition to CSU and Auburn University, the academic partners include Clemson University, University of Illinois, Oregon State University, Michigan State University, University of California-Davis, North Carolina A&T, University of Adelaide, University of Western Australia, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Zhejiang University, Kyoto University, Seoul National University, Agricultural Research Organization (Israel) and Rothamsted Research.

The consortium is seeking additional corporate partnerships. More information is available at http://www.weedgenomics.org.

This story originally appeared on Auburn Universitys website.

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Official COVID Projections Were Toppled by Virus Variants That Genome Panel Had Warned About – The Wire

Posted: at 11:15 am

Bengaluru: Even as scientists have acknowledged flaws in a disease transmission model that may have led the government to believe Indias second COVID-19 wouldnt be too bad, notable members of the governments science-oriented bodies have pushed back on reports, including by The Wire, that the powers that be ignored scientific data that would have allowed India to anticipate the brutality of the wave.

Even though it predicted a rise in infections 1.2 lakh daily new cases by mid-May that ought to have been acted upon by the government as it corroborated the possibility of a second wave, its numbers underestimated the problem because the disease transmission model used was suited more to explaining the past than to predicting the future, according to scientists who spoke to The Hindu.

The Department of Science & Technology had put together a committee to study the spread of the novel coronavirus in India and to recommend policy interventions to help the government close out the epidemic as quickly as possible. The committee members were M. Vidyasagar (IIT Hyderabad), who was also the chair; Manindra Agrawal (IIT Kanpur); Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar (Ministry of Defence); Biman Bagchi (Indian Institute of Science); Arup Bose and Sankar K. Pal (Indian Statistical Institute); and Gagandeep Kang (CMC Vellore).

The team used a data-centric supermodel to conclude, in October 2020, that Indias wave at the time was past its peak. In late February, Agrawal said in an interview that the model suggested there would be 5 lakh more cases or so in the ten weeks to come.

But since then, especially from the second half of April 2021, Indias COVID-19 case load has accelerated to register the fastest growth rate in the world, in the pandemics brief but intense history. The Government of India was caught off-guard by the ferocity, so much so that the healthcare systems in many states suffered very public breakdowns, further exacerbating the second wave. In particular, many people, including experts, have blamed the government for failing to anticipate the vaccine and oxygen shortages.

There has been apprehension in scientific circles that the government seized on the supermodel and developed the impression that Indias second wave would be more manageable. However, Agrawal told The Hindu that the supermodel could make predictions but only if it assumed that the phase significant characteristics of the wave didnt change.

Gautam Menon of Ashoka University, Sonepat, had written for The Wire Science earlier noting that a phase change had happened: there were new variants of the novel coronavirus in circulation, some of which were better at evading the immune system, and the populations immunity also could have faded. As a result, he wrote, The parameters that enter models of how cases might increase now need to be changed by unrealistic amounts to account for the current rise. Beyond a point, the conservative assumption of continuity from the past must be abandoned.

Also read: COVID-19 Is Surging In India but Will There Be Fewer Deaths This Time?

Agrawal also said that the first national seroprevalence surveys results, which the supermodel used, could have been misleading. The survey, conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said that 0.73% of Indias population could have been exposed to the novel coronavirus by June 2020. But Agrawal said the number was likely much lower, leaving more of the population still susceptible to being infected. (Also recall that ICMR published the survey paper only 14 weeks after the survey ended.)

Science has also reported that the supermodel may have been undermined by what it didnt use: granular data that the ICMR has been collecting from the people getting tested for COVID-19. But as it happens, ICMR has dragged its feet on widening access to this data, prompting over 700 researchers to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While the government may have seized on the supermodel because its conclusions fit the preconceived notions of Indias political leaders, other government functionaries have pushed back in one instance in a nasty way against assertions by experts that politicians wilfully ignored early warnings of potentially dangerous variants.

Indeed, the phase change that both Menon and Agrawal have referred to is also what was on top of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Consortium (INSACOG).

In the second half of last year, the Indian government set up INSACOG to collect samples of the virus from different parts of the country and sequence their genes to understand which strains were common where. Last week, four members of this consortium said that they had told at least the Union health secretary of a dangerous new variant in the population that could aggravate Indias crisis.

Reuters reported that it could not determine whether the INSACOG findings were passed on to Modi himself. However, Rakesh Mishra, until recently the director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, (CCMB) Hyderabad, whose facilities are part of the consortium, told The Wire yesterday that it was impossible to believe Modi wasnt told.

In an interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Mishra lambasted political leaders for the abject failure to contain Indias COVID-19 epidemic, and alleged that they had acted in defiance of information about the virus and its spread that was available.

It was a high concern and theres no doubt about it, Mishra said. We were very, very concerned, and that INSACOG was dreading something bad would happen.

A little earlier, after trying for many months to interview the principal scientific adviser (PSA) K. VijayRaghavan, vaccine delivery expert group chief V.K. Paul and ICMR head Balram Bhargava, Thapar published a list of 35 questions he would like them to answer. These three men are Indias top scientists in the government, and independent experts have criticised them repeatedly for failing to ensure Indias response to COVID-19 was evidence-based.

The latter continues to be met with silence from the government but Mishras comments in his interview have drawn rebukes from at least two senior science-related officials in the government: Department of Biotechnology secretary Renu Swarup and senior advisor in the PSAs office Shailja Gupta.

In an interview with Economic Times, Renu Swarup said that Mishra retired from service on April 30 and that all decisions are made by the core group, implying that Mishra didnt belong in this group. However, she ignored the fact that Mishra was in service and very much part of the core group at the time INSACOG warned the government, which was in March.

Also read: India Sequenced Less Than 1% of Total COVID-19 Samples in Nearly 3 Months

Swarup disputed the use of the word warning, and added, My department is leading the INSACOG initiative and I never saw any such report which said that numbers will go very high or rise exponentially.

After a few scientists shared the video of the Mishra-Thapar interview on Twitter and remarked that more scientists should speak up, Shailja Gupta, a senior adviser in the Office of the PSA, tweeted the following response: Best they dont, their internal recorded discussions at high level meetings will reveal a very different story.

Guptas Twitter bio says that her views, presumably those expressed on the social media platform, are those of a free citizen, but she wielded her knowledge of closed-door meetings to say that Mishra and others shouldnt speak up.

Many other scientists and other observers responded saying that instead of making veiled references to allegedly compromising information or even threatening those who are speaking up, Gupta should release the minutes of all meetings attended by government officials and scientists vis--vis COVID-19.

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Sex chromosome transformation and the origin of a male-specific X chromosome in the creeping vole – Science Magazine

Posted: at 11:15 am

Mystery solved?

Chromosomal sex determination arises when an autosomal locus acquires a sex-determining function. In some taxa, this process occurs often. The XY system in mammals, however, has been evolutionarily stable across a wide array of species. Fifty years ago, a variation on this norm was described in the creeping vole (Microtus oregoni), but the details have remained mostly unknown. Couger et al. sequenced the sex chromosomes in this species and found that the Y chromosome has been lost, the male-determining chromosome is a second X that is largely homologous to the female X, and both the maternally inherited and male-specific sex chromosomes carry vestiges of the ancestral Y.

Science, this issue p. 592

The mammalian sex chromosome system (XX female/XY male) is ancient and highly conserved. The sex chromosome karyotype of the creeping vole (Microtus oregoni) represents a long-standing anomaly, with an X chromosome that is unpaired in females (X0) and exclusively maternally transmitted. We produced a highly contiguous male genome assembly, together with short-read genomes and transcriptomes for both sexes. We show that M. oregoni has lost an independently segregating Y chromosome and that the male-specific sex chromosome is a second X chromosome that is largely homologous to the maternally transmitted X. Both maternally inherited and male-specific sex chromosomes carry fragments of the ancestral Y chromosome. Consequences of this recently transformed sex chromosome system include Y-like degeneration and gene amplification on the male-specific X, expression of ancestral Y-linked genes in females, and X inactivation of the male-specific chromosome in male somatic cells. The genome of M. oregoni elucidates the processes that shape the gene content and dosage of mammalian sex chromosomes and exemplifies a rare case of plasticity in an ancient sex chromosome system.

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Science Papers Examine Factors Shaping SARS-CoV-2 Spread, Give Insight Into Bacterial Evolution – GenomeWeb

Posted: at 11:15 am

By sequencing nearly 4,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected in Washington State last year, a group led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center investigators has found that human behavior, rather than different viral lineages, was mostly responsible for shaping the course of the pandemic in the region. As reported in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers find that cases of infection with the 614D variant initially dominated in Washington State, but were later taken over the potentially more transmissible 614G variant. However, the trends for 614G and 614D cases appeared to be explained by differences in when action to curb the spread ofSARS-CoV-2 were taken on a county level. Additionally, while higher viral loads were observed in patients infected with the 614G variant, the scientists did not find evidence that the variant impacts clinical severity or patient outcomes.

Using a novel hierarchical phylogenomic approach, a team led by scientists from the University of Bristol has identified the root of the bacteria tree and gained new insights into early bacterial evolution. In their study, which appears in this week's Science, the investigators note that tracing billions of years of bacterial evolution back to the root has been difficult because standard phylogenetic models do not account for the full range of evolutionary processes that shape bacterial genomes. Standard rooting approaches also typically use an outgroup, which act a reference point for evolutionary analyses but have the potential to distort within-species relationships. Using a technique that explicitly uses information from gene duplications and losses within a genome, as well as gene transfers between genomes, they were able to root the bacterial tree without including an archaeal outgroup. Their analysis puts the root of the bacteria tree between the major clades Terrabacteria and Gracilicutes and suggests that the last bacterial common ancestor was a complex double-membraned cell capable of motility and chemotaxis that possessed a CRISPR-Cas system. The researchers also uncover a major role for vertical gene transmission in bacterial evolution.

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Bacteriophages: There’s a Whole Army of Viruses That Have Genomes Unique to Their Own – Science Times

Posted: at 11:15 am

Viruses depend on cells to replicate because they can not encode necessary enzymes for viral replication, according to BCcampus Open Publishing. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, replicate in the cytoplasm since prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus or organelles.

For eons, bacteriophages and bacteria have been at war wherein each side is evolving to more devilish tactics to infect or destroy the other. They are the epitome of the saying: "Nothing is constant in this world, except for change."

Eventually, bacteriophages evolved in a way that it took this arms race to a whole new level by changing its way of encoding their DNA.

According to ScienceAlert, New research published in three separate papers has shown a whole army of bacteriophages having Z-genome, a non-standard DNA unique to the rest of the world.

Biologists Michael Grome and Farren Isaacs wrotein a recent Science editorial that accompanies their new research on bacteriophages that the genomic DNA is composed of nucleotides that form the genetic alphabet, ACTG, which is similar to all life forms.

But, in 1977, scientists have discovered that cyanophage S-2L has a DNA virus that the 'A' is substituted with 2-aminoadenine (Z) throughout its genome that forms the new genetic alphabet of ZTCG.

Scientists were fascinated by this discovery and found that no other bacteriophages have the Z-genome. Also, they have a hard time culturing the S-2L in the lab, setting aside the Z-genome as a curiosity.

ALSO READ: Bacteriophage: Possible Replacement For Antibiotics, Great Efficacy In Combating Superbugs

The science news website reportedthat the new research documented in three separate papers from researchers in China and France showed how the Z-genome is assembled and how it works.

Yan Zhou, from Tianjin University and the lead researcher from one of the studies, wrotein their paper that their work shows how nature has come up with increasing the diversity of genomes.

Zhou's team and microbiologist Dona Sleiman's team in the Institut Pasteur found that the base of the Z-genome is composed of two major proteins that they call PurZ and PurB.

Meanwhile, the third group of researchers from the Universit Paris-Saclay led by biologist Valerie Pezo confirmed those findings and analyzed the DpoZ enzyme, which is responsible for assembling the Z-genome.

The three teams found a variety of bacteriophages that have Z-genomes by looking at sequence databases for the sequences related to the proteins and enzymes of the genome they were looking for.

New York University molecular biologist Jef Boeke, who was not part of the study, told The Scientistthat the three teams did a remarkable comprehensive job of presenting the Z-genome, not as one crazy outlier but a whole army of bacteriophages that have a unique kind of DNA.

Zhou said that since the Z-base bacteriophages were discovered in a meteorite, their work could spark interest in the research about the origins of life and astrobiology. But until now, the Z-genome is still covered with many questions that are yet to be answered.

The three papers were all published in Science separately. Here are the titles and links of their papers:

D. Sleiman et al., "A third purine biosynthetic pathway encoded by aminoadenine-based viral DNA genomes."

V. Pezo et al., "Noncanonical DNA polymerization by aminoadenine-based siphoviruses."

Y. Zhou et al., "A widespread pathway for substitution of adenine by diaminopurine in phage genomes."

RELATED ARTICLE: Human Microbiome: Viruses That Live and Thrive Inside

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Identification of Gene as Predictive Biomarkers for the Occurrence and | IJGM – Dove Medical Press

Posted: at 11:15 am

1Department of Orthopedics, The 923rd Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Peoples Liberation Army, Nanning, Peoples Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Peoples Hospital of Guilin, Guilin, Guangxi, 541001, Peoples Republic of China; 3Department of Orthopedics, Fifth Clinical Medical College, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, 541001, Peoples Republic of China; 4Department of Orthopedics, The Tenth Peoples Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530105, Peoples Republic of China

Correspondence: Bo LvPeoples Hospital of Guilin, 12 Wenming Road, Guilin, Guangxi, 541001, Peoples Republic of ChinaTel +867738997962Email [emailprotected]

Purpose: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone cancer affecting adolescents and young adults. This study aimed to screen potential diagnostic and therapeutic markers for osteosarcoma.Methods: Differential expression analysis between osteosarcoma and control was performed in GSE99671, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were subjected to co-expression analysis. Enrichment analysis was employed to identify the biological functions and KEGG signaling pathways of module genes. In addition, a differential analysis was also performed between recurrent and non-recurrent osteosarcoma samples in GSE39055, and enrichment analysis was performed for DEGs. Further, KaplanMeier curve analysis was performed on the module genes, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn. Comparison of the module with the highest correlation to osteosarcoma identified key genes. Cox regression model was utilized to identify the predictive ability of key genes for the prognosis of osteosarcoma.Results: A total of 13 co-expression modules were identified from 4871 DEGs of GSE99671, module 1 had the highest positive correlation with osteosarcoma. Module genes were mainly enriched in autophagy and macrophage migration functions. A total of 1126 DEGs were obtained from GSE39055, significantly involved in neutrophil mediated immunity. Screening of genes with area under the ROC curve (AUC) values greater than 0.73 in both GSE99671 and GSE39055 identified 5 key genes when compared with genes from module 1. The nomogram results showed that ATF5, CHCHD8, ENOPH1, and LOC286367 might predict 5-year or 8-year survival time of osteosarcoma patients. The Cox model results confirmed that the signals of ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 were robust, and it may be used in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of osteosarcoma.Conclusion: We found that ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 can effectively identify osteosarcoma tumorigenesis and even recurrence status. This is helpful for early diagnosis and treatment, improving the clinical treatment of patients with osteosarcoma.

Keywords: osteosarcoma, predictive biomarkers, recurrence, weighted co-expressed network analysis

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy, mainly affecting children and young adults.1 Osteosarcoma consists of malignant osteoblasts producing immature bone and bone tissue.2 Although standard treatment with surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy has significantly improved the 5-year survival rate of osteosarcoma patients to approximately 6070%, no significant progress has been made in improving the survival rate of patients with recurrence or metastasis over the past 30 years.3,4 The lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma has severely hampered improved patient survival. When diagnosed, 40% of metastases occur in patients with advanced osteosarcoma.5 Therefore, elucidating the functions of osteosarcoma-related genes and exploring the possible pathological mechanisms of osteosarcoma initiation, development and recurrence are crucial for the future detection and treatment of osteosarcoma.

Depending on the histological morphology, three main categories can be distinguished: high-grade, which includes most subtypes, and intermediate and low-grade, which include periosteal and periosteal.6 Conventional osteosarcoma refers to high-grade tumors with intramedullary growth and is the most common type, accounting for 85% of all osteosarcoma cases during childhood and adolescence.7 The osteosarcoma tumor microenvironment is composed of osteosarcoma cells, osteocytes, stromal cells, vascular cells, immune cells, and the extracellular matrix (ECM).8 This creates a complex environment for tumor growth. More immune infiltration is found in osteosarcoma tumors to promote a local immune tolerant environment.9 Given the close connection between bone tissue and the immune system, it has been speculated that osteosarcoma may use similar mechanisms to evade immune recognition.10

With the development of molecular biology technology, tumor gene therapy for osteosarcoma has potential clinical applications.11,12 Accumulating evidence indicates that the occurrence, development and prognosis of osteosarcoma are closely related to molecular mechanisms.13,14 Through high-throughput sequencing, gene expression in osteosarcoma can be compared to normal samples, leading to an initial selection of potential targets for anticancer therapy.15 This also includes some common long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).16

This study aimed to discover the occurrence- or recurrence-related potential markers according to the osteosarcoma-related gene expression profiles in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Multiple differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) algorithm. The main signaling pathways of osteosarcoma were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO), function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes (KEGG) pathways. Subsequently, KaplanMeier and Cox models were utilized to screen the key genes related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma. The findings may provide new biomarkers and therapeutic target molecules for the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma data were collected from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo) databases. GSE99671 included mRNA expression profiling of fresh-frozen bone samples from 18 tumoral samples and 18 non-tumoral paired samples by high throughput sequencing.17,18 The raw data were standardized and normalized through R package DEseq2;19 then, the gene expression profile was provided in Table S1. GSE39055 included mRNA expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from 37 unique diagnostic biopsy specimens of osteosarcoma with (n=18) or non-recurrence (n=19) by array.20 Expression data were processed using the R package lumi21 and provided in Table S2. All data were obtained from an open-access database, thus, acquiring ethical approval was not necessary.

Next, the DEseq2 package was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in osteosarcoma (n = 18) and healthy controls (n = 18) in GSE99671 data. The limma package22 was used to screen DEGs between the recurrent osteosarcoma and non-recurrent osteosarcoma in GSE39055 data. P < 0.05 was set as the screening condition. The expression of DEGs was visualized with volcano plots.

The coexpression network for DEGs in GSE99671 was performed using Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) by WGCNA R package.23 The samples were used to construct scale-free topology networks, and all gene adjacencies were calculated to make a topological overlap matrix (TOM). The soft-thresholding power was chosen and used as the correlation coefficient threshold. Then, a minimum number of genes in the modules were built. The expression pattern of eigengene in each module is condensed into module eigengene (ME). Genes in MEs were considered had similar expression patterns. The moduletrail relationships were demonstrated using Pearson correlation analysis.

The biological process (BP) in Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) for module genes or DEGs in GSE39055 were performed using R software package clusterProfiler.24 Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was carried out using the GSVA package.25 For each sample, a score for the enrichment of a set of genes using gene expression profile was obtained. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistical significance. The R package clusterProfiler was used to obtain the background set for gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). GSEA runs in Java environment and conducted between osteosarcoma and control samples.

KaplanMeier (K-M) survival analysis with the R package survival was applied to identify overall survival (OS) associated genes among the module genes. Prognostic relevant genes among the key genes were determined using Cox regression analysis in a survival package based on gene expression values and survival status data. P < 0.05 was considered to be a statistically significant difference. Based on the correlation coefficients of the risk model, a formula for calculating the prognostic risk score for each patient was established. According to the median value of the risk score, patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups.

To evaluate whether the identified survival-related genes have significant diagnostic value for osteosarcoma or recurrent osteosarcoma, we performed ROC analysis using the R software package pROC.26 The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated for each gene. The diagnostic accuracy of key biomarkers was evaluated using AUC values. Here, this gene can distinguish osteosarcoma from healthy individuals or recurrent osteosarcoma from non-recurrent osteosarcoma when the AUC value is greater than 0.6.

The marker gene expression information for immune cell types was obtained by Bindea et al.27 The infiltration scores of immune cells were calculated using ssGSEA in GSVA R software package. Correlations between immune cells and key genes were calculated using Pearson correlation. P value <0.05 was considered significant.

The flowchart of this study is shown in Figure 1. To identify differences in gene expression between osteosarcoma and controls, we performed a differential analysis of the osteosarcoma and control groups in GSE99671. Using threshold screening, we obtained 4871 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between osteosarcoma and controls (Figure 2A). The co-expression behaviors of these genes were identified by performing WGCNA on the DEGs. To ensure that the coexpression network could obey the scale-free criterion, we selected = 9 as a soft-thresholding (Figure 2B). We identified a total of 13 coexpression modules (Figure 2C). Pearson correlation analysis showed that MEturquoise (M1) had the highest positive correlation with osteosarcoma (Figure 2D).

Figure 1 The flowchart of this study. The GSE99671 data and GSE39055 data were used to identify potential biomarkers related to the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma. The module genes identified in GSE99671 were used to evaluate their prognostic and diagnostic value in GSE39055. Further screening of key genes may be a target for diagnosis and treatment of osteosarcoma.

Abbreviations: WGCNA, weighted gene co-expression network analysis; GSEA, gene set enrichment analysis; ROC, receiver operating characteristic curve; AUC, area under the ROC curve.

Figure 2 Coexpression modules of differentially expressed genes. (A) The differentially expressed genes between osteosarcoma and controls in GSE99671. (B) The scale-free fit index and the mean connectivity for various soft-thresholding powers. (C) Common genes were identified for thirteen coexpression modules by WGCNA. (D) Correlations between modules and clinical trait were analyzed by Pearson correlation.

To identify the biological roles of module genes, we performed enrichment analysis. It was found that module genes were significantly enriched in activated positive regulation of macrophage migration, chaperone mediated autophagy, MHC protein complex assembly biological processes; and inhibited neutrophil aggregation, regulation of vascular permeability, regulation of cell killing in osteosarcoma (Figure 3A). Using KEGG enrichment results, we found that activated HIF-1 signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and autophagy animal were significantly enriched by module genes, and inhibited B cell receptor signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, and ECM receptor interaction were also significantly enriched in osteosarcoma (Figure 3B). GSEA results showed that protein export, RNA polymerase, and proteasome were significantly enriched in osteosarcoma, primary immunodeficiency, PPAR signaling pathway, and neutrophil extracellular trap formation were significantly enriched in control samples (Figure 3C).

Figure 3 Biological functions of module gene enrichment. (A) Module genes significantly enriched for activated and inhibited biological processes. (B) Module genes significantly enriched for activated and inhibited KEGG pathway. (C) The activated and inhibited KEGG pathways in GSEA of module genes involved. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Abbreviation: GSVA, gene set variation analysis.

To identify molecular alterations associated with osteosarcoma recurrence, we performed a differential analysis of recurrent and non-recurrent osteosarcoma gene expression in GSE39055. A total of 1126 differentially expressed genes were obtained (Figure 4A). In GO enrichment results, the activated neutrophil mediated immunity, skeletal muscle fiber differentiation, response to iron (III) ion and inhibited neutrophil apoptotic process, leukocyte homeostasis, mitochondrial organization were significantly enriched by differentially expressed genes (Figure 4B). KEGG enrichment results identified that the differentially expressed genes were significantly involved in the activated endocrine resistance, oxidative phosphorylation, renin angiotensin system; and inhibited p53 signaling pathway, cell cycle, FOXO signaling pathway in recurrent osteosarcoma (Figure 4C).

Figure 4 The potential molecular changes in osteosarcoma recurrence. (A) Volcano plot of differentially expressed genes between recurrent osteosarcoma and non-recurrent osteosarcoma. Red for activated and green for inhibited. The four genes with the largest fold change of activated or inhibited were labeled. (B) Differentially expressed genes involved in activated and inhibited biological processes quantified by gene set variation analysis (GSVA). The longer the column, the more genes involved in this term. (C) Differentially expressed genes involved in activated and inhibited KEGG pathway quantified by gene set variation analysis (GSVA). The longer the column, the more genes involved in this term.

Abbreviation: BP, biological processes.

From the survival information of 37 osteosarcoma patients obtained from GSE39055, we found that the patients 5-year overall survival (OS) was 35% (Figure 5A). The survival probability increased per year already survival related to the total survival time. To identify key genes involved in the prognosis of osteosarcoma, we performed KM curve analysis of module genes. Among the module genes, we identified 262 genes that significantly affected osteosarcoma survival. By plotting the ROC curves of these survival-related genes, we screened for genes with AUC values greater than 0.73 in both GSE99671 and GSE39055 (Figure 5B). Including AEBP1, ATF5, CHCHD8, DYRK3, ENOPH1, GMIP, LOC286367, PKP4, R3HDM1, TRIM66, and ZMYND17. They were also differentially expressed genes in GSE39055 and thus may predict both osteosarcoma occurrence and recurrence. In addition, five genes (ATF5, CHCHD8, ENOPH1, LOC286367, and R3HDM1) were identified as potentially most strongly associated with osteosarcoma by contrasting with the gene for module 1. They were identified as key genes. Nomograms were constructed using Cox regression analysis results, and differential expression of ATF5, CHCHD8, ENOPH1, and LOC286367 could predict 5 - and 8-year OS of osteosarcoma patients (Figure 5C).

Figure 5 Screening of key genes predicting the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma. (A) KaplanMeier estimates for conditional survival up to 6 years in 37 patients given 05 years survival of osteosarcoma. Each column represents the survival time, and each row represents the percentage reaching the specified survival time. (B) On the left are survival associated genes with AUC values in GSE99671 and GSE39055 and on the right are genes with AUC values greater than 0.73 in both datasets. Red represents up-regulated expression and blue represents down regulated expression. The length of the column represents the mean AUC value. (C) Nomogram for the prediction of overall survival to achieve 5-year or 8-year survival time.

Abbreviation: AUC, area under the ROC curve.

On the other hand, osteosarcoma patients in GSE39055 were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median risk score which calculated by the Cox model (Figure 6A). The expressions of key genes in the high-risk and low-risk groups were different. Patients with death status were significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. In addition, we calculated the correlation of key genes and immune cells, LOC286367 was positively correlated with most immune cells, other key genes were negatively correlated with more immune cells (Figure 6B). The prediction capability of the key genes was evaluated by calculating the area under the ROC curve (AUC). The AUC values of ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 for predicting OS were greater than 0.6 in the first, third, and fifth year of osteosarcoma, indicating that they had good performance (Figure 6C). High expression of ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 was associated with the worst OS in osteosarcoma patients (Figure 6D). ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 were expressed at significantly higher levels of osteosarcoma compared with the normal group in GSE99671 (Figure 6E).

Figure 6 Diagnostic role of key genes predicting the survival of osteosarcoma. (A) Distribution of risk score, overall survival, and overall survival status and heatmap of the five key genes in the GSE39055. (B) Correlations between immune infiltrating cells and key genes were calculated using Pearson. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. (C) Time-dependent ROC curves measuring the predictive value of key genes in GSE39055 for 3-year, 5-year or 10-year survival time. (D) Effect of key genes expression on overall survival by KaplanMeier analysis in 37 patients with osteosarcoma. (E) The expression levels of ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 in osteosarcoma and normal of GSE99671. ***P < 0.001.

Abbreviation: OS, overall survival.

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common aggressive bone tumors and is currently treated with chemical drugs combined with surgical resection. A major unsolved problem is the poor prognosis characterized by drug resistance, recurrence and metastasis.28 The identification of gene signatures is crucial both for a better understanding of the molecular basis of osteosarcoma progression and for the discovery of novel targets.29 In the present study, we focused on the potential target genes with prognostic value for osteosarcoma. Gene expression profiling of differentially expressed genes detected by GSE99671 in osteosarcoma tissue samples established 13 coexpression modules. Module genes were mainly enriched in immune, inflammatory and metabolic responses. In the gene co-expression network, module 1 was most significantly associated with osteosarcoma, in which genes significantly affecting survival may be potential target genes. Furthermore, combining GSE39055, we identified 5 key genes that may serve as diagnostic markers for the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma. Finally, high expression of ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 was associated with worse prognosis in osteosarcoma.

WGCNA is a systems biology approach that describes correlation patterns between genes in transcriptome samples with soft threshold algorithms.23 The results of GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the module genes led us to focus on the biological functions of autophagy and macrophage migration, as well as the HIF-1 signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Autophagy promotes the proliferation and development of osteosarcoma cells and resists tumor treatment.30 Autophagy may be involved in drug sensitivity or chemoresistance during osteosarcoma treatment.31 Macrophages are an important immune component in the osteosarcoma microenvironment. Macrophages are highly plastic and the inflammatory phenotype (M1) and anti-inflammatory phenotype (M2) may play opposite roles in the progression of osteosarcoma.32 Activation of the HIF-1 signaling pathway promotes osteosarcoma cell growth and is a promising therapeutic target.33 Accumulating evidence suggests that the PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in cancer initiation and progression, such as tumorigenesis, apoptosis inhibition, proliferation and drug resistance.34

To further identify the underlying molecular mechanisms of osteosarcoma recurrence, we performed enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes between recurrence and non-recurrence. We found multiple immune related pathways, neutrophil mediated immunity, neutrophil apoptotic process, and leukocyte homeostasis. They may be associated with metastasis and recurrence of osteosarcoma.35 In addition to a large number of aberrant biological functions, FOXO could control the expression of genes involved in cell death and cell cycle arrest, exerting tumor suppressor activity.36 Tumor suppressor p53 tumor cells have been reported to exert anticancer effects by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.37

Of the 13 coexpression modules we identified, module 1 was found to be strongly associated with osteosarcoma. Among the module genes identified to be significantly associated with OS of osteosarcoma, 11 genes were screened with high specificity and sensitivity as potential molecular markers for predicting the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma. Among them, 5 genes were genes in module 1 and were considered as key genes. In the Cox regression model, high expression of CHCHD8 or ENOPH1 may benefit the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients, and low expression of ATF5 or LOC286367 may prolong patient survival. However, the K-M curve results differed from the Cox analysis results in that patients with low expression of the CHCHD8 gene had better overall survival. The risk assessment model constructed by 5 key genes clearly distinguished the status of osteosarcoma survival and death. Based on the time-dependent ROC curves results, we identified ATF5, CHCHD8, and LOC286367 as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for clinical outcome prediction. ATF5 is considered an anti-apoptotic factor because it regulates the expression of the anti-apoptotic components BCL2 and MCL1.38 Studies have reported ATF5 to promote tumor growth and survival and have been reported to be associated with recurrence of osteosarcoma.39,40 CHCHD8 has been reported to be associated with drug resistance in gastric cancer, but the association with osteosarcoma has not been reported.41 LOC286367 was reported to be associated with inflammatory response,42,43 the results of our analysis argued that it may be a potential marker for the occurrence and recurrence of osteosarcoma.

However, the present study has certain limitations. The first and most important is the lack of experimental validation. Second, the lack of detailed clinical data, such as chemotherapy regimens and tumor stages, limits in-depth association analyses. Finally, whether the biomarkers we identified can be applied in the clinic also needs a large number of samples to validate, which will be the focus of our future studies.

The present study identified potential diagnostic markers and useful therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma patients, and they may be able to predict patient prognosis. The mechanism of recurrence of osteosarcoma may be associated with neutrophil immunity and cell cycle arrest. In-depth exploration of the potential target genes and molecular deregulation mechanisms to develop corresponding prevention and treatment countermeasures can achieve breakthrough progress in the prognosis of osteosarcoma.

Data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/).

This study was supported by the Scientific Research Project of Guangxi Health Commission (Z20180799).

The authors report no conflicts of interest related to this work.

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Identification of Gene as Predictive Biomarkers for the Occurrence and | IJGM - Dove Medical Press

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Cell And Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Market in 2021 | Expansive Coverage on the Latest Developments in the Market – BioSpace

Posted: at 11:15 am

Cell and gene therapies rapid penetration in clinical trials globally is testimony to the incredible potential these in understanding, treating, and curing diseases. The cell and gene therapy clinical trials market is rapidly evolving, touching numerous frontiers in personalized medicine, especially for chronic diseases. A number of gene therapies approved by the U.S. FDA reinforces the potential. Pharmaceutical companies in clinical trials that test cell and gene therapies have bloomed strikingly, most notably in oncology, eye diseases, and rare hereditary diseases. A partial list of the top diseases that attract massive attention of contract research organizations in cell and gene therapy market are type 1 diabetes, Parkinsons disease, spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the Alzheimers disease, and osteoarthritis.

The number of cell and gene therapies is seeing marked increase year over year. According to an estimate, there were more than a thousand cell and gene therapy clinical trials by 2019. To complement the trend, investments by pharma companies are also rising by large bounds in those years.

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The study on the cell and gene therapy clinical trials offers deep expounding of current and emerging business strategies, elements of competition, facets of markets attractiveness, and insights into regional growth dynamics across the globe.

Cell And Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Market: Key Trends

Clinical trials pertaining to advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) are making consistent increase in some developed nations. A predominant percentage of these in recent years have been viral vector mediated gene therapies. Thus far, some remarkable strides have been witnessed in this direction, enriching the investment scope in the cell and gene therapy market. The effect has been notices in all phases, from Phase I to Phase IV.

A prevalent trend over the past few years is the focus on oncology. Oncology--notably including haematological malignancies and solid tumourshave been at the center of ATMP clinical trials. Metabolic disease trials have also seen a significant increase, cementing revenue growth in the cell and gene therapy market. Advances made in gene therapy trials continue to pave way to new vistas for oncology research, both in vivo and in vitro.

Cell And Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Market: Competitive Dynamics and Key Developments

The profound potential of cell and gene therapies (CGT) notwithstanding, their successful clinical translation is, no doubt, rests on panoply of problems. These also determine the key restraints for the evolution of the cell and gene therapy market. The high degree of personalization that CGT entails, factors affecting their efficacy and safety are difficult to ascertain, if not impossible. For one, obtaining cells from donors is replete with some unique challenges, such as invasiveness of the process to patients. So are the lack of availability of cutting-edge biomarkers and targets anchored on which gene therapies will show their potential. The whole process of delivering CGT in clinical trials is itself associated with some tall challenges for contract research organizations.

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Having put these perspectives, the prospects have limitless potential waiting to be extracted, and researchers are not disheartened by the aforementioned challenges. In oncology alone, a number of new approaches have added liveliness to CGT clinical trials. Biotech companies are testing new waters in allogeneic therapies. T-cell receptor (TCR) are increasingly penetrating safety and feasibility trials, adding momentum to the cell and gene therapy market.

Some of the industry players likely to invade the space of these limitless possibilities are;

Cell And Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Market: Regional Assessment

North America has been at the cynosure of attention for CGT trials. European nations have also been showing substantial potential for generating revenues in the global market. In coming years, Asia Pacific is expected to show high growth potential

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Cell And Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Market in 2021 | Expansive Coverage on the Latest Developments in the Market - BioSpace

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CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkarta Announce Global Collaboration to Develop Gene-Edited Cell Therapies for Cancer – GlobeNewswire

Posted: at 11:15 am

-Collaboration brings together breakthrough gene editing technology and leading natural killer (NK) cell and T cell discovery, development, and manufacturing capabilities-

-Companies to co-develop and co-commercialize two chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell product candidates, one targeting CD70, and a product candidate combining NK and T cells (NK+T)-

-Nkarta obtains a license to CRISPR gene editing technology for use in its own engineered NK cell therapy products-

-Nkarta to host conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET-

ZUG, Switzerland, CAMBRIDGE, Mass., and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, and Nkarta, Inc. (NASDAQ: NKTX), a biopharmaceutical company developing engineered NK cell therapies to treat cancer, today announced a strategic partnership to research, develop, and commercialize CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited cell therapies for cancer.

Under the agreement, the companies will co-develop and co-commercialize two CAR NK cell product candidates, one targeting the CD70 tumor antigen and the other target to be determined. In addition, the companies will bring together their complementary cell therapy engineering and manufacturing capabilities to advance the development of a novel NK+T product candidate harnessing the synergies of the adaptive and innate immune systems. Finally, Nkarta obtains a license to CRISPR gene editing technology to edit five gene targets in an unlimited number of its own NK cell therapy products.

CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkarta will equally share all research and development costs and profits worldwide related to the collaboration products. For each non-collaboration product candidate incorporating a gene editing target licensed from CRISPR Therapeutics, Nkarta will retain worldwide rights and pay CRISPR Therapeutics milestones and royalties on net sales. The agreement includes a three-year exclusivity period between CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkarta covering the research, development, and commercialization of allogeneic, gene-edited, donor-derived NK cells and NK+T cells.

By bringing together CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkartas highly complementary expertise and proprietary platforms we plan to accelerate the development of potentially groundbreaking genome engineered NK cell therapies, said Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at CRISPR Therapeutics. This collaboration broadens the scope of our efforts in oncology cell therapy, and expands our efforts to discover and develop novel cancer therapies for patients.

Uniting the best-in-class gene editing solution and allogeneic T cell therapy expertise of CRISPR with Nkartas best-in-class CAR NK cell therapy platform will be a major advantage to advancing the next wave of transformative cancer cell therapies, said Paul J. Hastings, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nkarta. With this partnership, Nkarta can systematically apply world-class gene editing across our entire pre-clinical pipeline going forward. CRISPRs deep understanding of CD70 biology and experience in allogeneic T cell clinical development can accelerate the development of early-stage Nkarta programs, to deliver innovative treatments to patients that much faster.

Nkarta Conference Call DetailsNkarta management will host a conference call to discuss the collaboration today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The event will be simultaneously webcast and available for replay from the Nkarta website at http://www.nkartatx.com, under the Investors section. Investors may also participate in the conference call by calling 877-876-9174 (domestic) or +1-785-424-1669 (international). The conference ID is NKARTA.

AboutCRISPR TherapeuticsCRISPR Therapeuticsis a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA.CRISPR Therapeuticshas established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts,CRISPR Therapeuticshas established strategic collaborations with leading companies includingBayer, Vertex PharmaceuticalsandViaCyte, Inc.CRISPR Therapeutics AGis headquartered inZug, Switzerland, with its wholly-ownedU.S.subsidiary,CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based inCambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices inSan Francisco, CaliforniaandLondon, United Kingdom. For more information, please visitwww.crisprtx.com.

CRISPR THERAPEUTICS word mark and design logo are registered trademarks ofCRISPR Therapeutics AG. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CRISPR Therapeutics Forward-Looking StatementThis press release may contain a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements made by Dr. Kulkarni and Mr. Hastings in this press release, as well as statements regarding CRISPR Therapeutics expectations about any or all of the following: (i) the future activities of the parties pursuant to the collaboration and the expected benefits of CRISPR Therapeutics collaboration with Nkarta; and (ii) the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies and therapies. Without limiting the foregoing, the words believes, anticipates, plans, expects and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although CRISPR Therapeutics believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: CRISPR Therapeutics may not realize the potential benefits of the collaboration, uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical study will be favorable and predictive of future results of future studies or clinical trials; uncertainties about regulatory approvals and that future competitive or other market factors may adversely affect the commercial potential for product candidates; potential impacts due to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the timing and progress of preclinical studies; uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for CRISPR Therapeutics technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties, and the outcome of proceedings (such as an interference, an opposition or a similar proceeding) involving all or any portion of such intellectual property; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in CRISPR Therapeutics most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and in any other subsequent filings made by CRISPR Therapeutics with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. CRISPR Therapeutics disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by law.

About Nkartas NK Cell TechnologiesNkarta has pioneered a novel discovery and development platform for the engineering and efficient production of allogeneic, off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapy candidates. The approach harnesses the innate ability of NK cells to recognize and kill tumor cells. To enhance the inherent biological activity of NK cells, Nkarta genetically engineers the cells with a targeting receptor designed to recognize and bind to specific proteins on the surface of cancerous cells. This receptor is fused to co-stimulatory and signaling domains to amplify cell signaling and NK cell cytotoxicity. Upon binding the target, NK cells become activated and release cytokines that enhance the immune response and cytotoxic granules that lead to killing of the target cell. All of Nkartas NK current cell therapy candidates are also engineered with a membrane-bound IL15, a proprietary version of a cytokine known for activating NK cell growth, to enhance the persistence and activity of the NK cells.

Nkartas manufacturing process generates an abundant supply of NK cells that, at commercial scale, is expected to be significantly lower in cost than other current allogeneic and autologous cell therapies. Key to this efficiency is the rapid expansion of donor-derived NK cells using a proprietary NKSTIM cell line, leading to the production of hundreds of individual doses from a single manufacturing run. The platform also features the ability to freeze and store CAR NK cells for an extended period of time and is designed to enable immediate, off-the-shelf administration to patients at the point of care.

About NkartaNkarta is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing the development of allogeneic, off the shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapies for cancer. By combining its cell expansion and cryopreservation platform with proprietary cell engineering technologies, Nkarta is building a pipeline of cell therapy candidates generated by efficient manufacturing processes, which are engineered to enhance tumor targeting and improve persistence for sustained activity in the body. For more information, please visit http://www.nkartatx.com.

Nkarta, Inc. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking StatementsStatements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "intends," plans, potential, "projects, would and "future" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of these forward-looking statements include statements concerning: Nkartas expectations regarding its ability to advance the development and commercialization of two gene-edited CAR-NK cell therapies and an NK+T cell therapy under the collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics, and the ability of Nkarta and CRISPR Therapeutics to leverage the combination of their respective expertise and platforms to accelerate that development; Nkartas application of gene-editing across its preclinical pipeline; the ability of Nkartas technology to enhance the persistence and anti-tumor activity of NK cells and enable off-the-shelf, point-of-care administration; the efficiency and cost of Nkartas manufacturing processes; the number of doses generated from a manufacturing run; and the proprietary nature of Nkartas technology. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: Nkartas limited operating history and historical losses; Nkartas ability to raise additional funding to complete the development and any commercialization of its product candidates; Nkartas dependence on the success of its co-lead product candidates, NKX101 and NKX019; that Nkarta may be delayed in initiating, enrolling or completing any clinical trials; competition from third parties that are developing products for similar uses; Nkartas ability to obtain, maintain and protect its intellectual property; Nkartas dependence on third parties in connection with manufacturing, clinical trials and pre-clinical studies; the complexity of the manufacturing process for CAR NK cell therapies; and risks relating to the impact on Nkartas business of the COVID-19 pandemic or similar public health crises.

These and other risks are described more fully in Nkartas filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Risk Factors section of Nkartas Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 25, 20201, and our other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, Nkarta undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

CRISPR Therapeutics Investor Contact:Susan Kim+1-617-307-7503susan.kim@crisprtx.com

CRISPR Therapeutics Media Contact:Jennifer PaganelliReal Chemistry on behalf of CRISPR+1-347-658-8290jpaganelli@realchemistry.com

Nkarta Media/Investor Contact:Greg MannNkarta, Inc.+1-415-317-3675gmann@nkartatx.com

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CRISPR Therapeutics and Nkarta Announce Global Collaboration to Develop Gene-Edited Cell Therapies for Cancer - GlobeNewswire

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