In vivo CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in mice identifies genetic modifiers of somatic CAG repeat instability in Huntington's disease.

Nature genetics
Authors
Abstract

Huntington's disease, one of more than 50 inherited repeat expansion disorders, is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG expansion in HTT. Inherited CAG repeat length is the primary determinant of age of onset, with human genetic studies underscoring that the disease is driven by the CAG length-dependent propensity of the repeat to further expand in the brain. Routes to slowing somatic CAG expansion, therefore, hold promise for disease-modifying therapies. Several DNA repair genes, notably in the mismatch repair pathway, modify somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models. To identify novel modifiers of somatic expansion, we used CRISPR-Cas9 editing in Huntington's disease knock-in mice to enable in vivo screening of expansion-modifier candidates at scale. This included testing of Huntington's disease onset modifier genes emerging from human genome-wide association studies as well as interactions between modifier genes, providing insight into pathways underlying CAG expansion and potential therapeutic targets.

Year of Publication
2025
Journal
Nature genetics
Date Published
01/2025
ISSN
1546-1718
DOI
10.1038/s41588-024-02054-5
PubMed ID
39843658
Links