Protein-anchoring therapy to target extracellular matrix proteins to their physiological destinations

Matrix Biology : Journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology
Mikako Ito, Kinji Ohno

Abstract

Endplate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) deficiency is a form of congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) caused by mutations in COLQ, which encodes collagen Q (ColQ). ColQ is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that anchors AChE to the synaptic basal lamina. Biglycan, encoded by BGN, is another ECM protein that binds to the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC) on skeletal muscle, which links the actin cytoskeleton and ECM proteins to stabilize the sarcolemma during repeated muscle contractions. Upregulation of biglycan stabilizes the DPAC. Gene therapy can potentially ameliorate any disease that can be recapitulated in cultured cells. However, the difficulty of tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific regulated expression of transgenes, as well as the difficulty of introducing a transgene into all cells in a specific tissue, prevents us from successfully applying gene therapy to many human diseases. In contrast to intracellular proteins, an ECM protein is anchored to the target tissue via its specific binding affinity for protein(s) expressed on the cell surface within the target tissue. Exploiting this unique feature of ECM proteins, we developed protein-anchoring therapy in which a transgene product expressed even ...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 8, 2019·The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology·Abdelaziz GhanemiJonny St-Amand
Mar 7, 2021·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Bisei OhkawaraKinji Ohno

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

CREs: Gene & Cell Therapy

Gene and cell therapy advances have shown promising outcomes for several diseases. The role of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) is crucial in the design of gene therapy vectors. Here is the latest research on CREs in gene and cell therapy.

Cell-Type-Specific Viral Vectors (ASM)

Viral vectors are used in biological research and therapy to deliver genetic material into cells. However, the efficiency of viral vectors varies depending on the cell type. Here is the latest research on cell-type-specific viral vectors.

AAV-based Gene Therapy

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy is a biological vector that is being researched to be used as a potential therapeutic option. This gene therapy is designed to insert fragments of DNA into targeted cells to help treat diseases, such as hemophilia a. Discover the latest research on AAV-based gene therapy here.

Cell-Type-Specific Viral Vectors

Viral vectors are used in biological research and therapy to deliver genetic material into cells. However, the efficiency of viral vectors varies depending on the cell type. Here is the latest research on cell-type-specific viral vectors.

Cell-Type Specific Viral Vectors

Viral vectors are used in biological research and therapy to deliver genetic material into cells. However, the efficiency of viral vectors varies depending on the cell type. Here is the latest research on cell-type-specific viral vectors.