Open Access

Novel genetic therapeutic approaches for modulating the severity of β‑thalassemia (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Fareeha Amjad
    • Tamseel Fatima
    • Tuba Fayyaz
    • Muhammad   Aslam Khan
    • Muhammad Imran Qadeer
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  • Published online on: September 2, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2020.1355
  • Article Number: 48
  • Copyright: © Amjad et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Thalassemia is a genetic haematological disorder that arises due to defects in the α and β‑globin genes. Worldwide, 0.3‑0.4 million children are born with haemoglobinopathies per year. Thalassemic patients, as well as their families, face various serious clinical, socio‑economic, and psychosocial challenges throughout their life. Different therapies are available in clinical practice to minimize the suffering of thalassemic patients to some extent and potentially cure the disease. Predominantly, patients undergo transfusion therapy to maintain their haemoglobin levels. Due to multiple transfusions, the iron levels in their bodies are elevated. Iron overload results in damage to body organs, resulting in heart failure, liver function failure or endocrine failure, all of which are commonly observed. Certain drugs have been developed to enhance the expression of the γ‑gene, which ultimately results in augmentation of fetal haemoglobin (HbF) levels and total haemoglobin levels in the body. However, its effectiveness is dependent on the genetic makeup of the individual patient. At present, allogeneic haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is the only practically available option with a high curative rate. However, the outcome of HSCT is strongly influenced by factors such as age at transplantation, irregular iron chelation history before transplantation, histocompatibility, and source of stem cells. Gene therapy using the lentiglobin vector is the most recent method for cure without any mortality, graft rejection and clonal dominance issues. However, delayed platelet engraftment is being reported in some patients. Genome editing is a novel approach which may be used to treat patients with thalassemia; it makes use of targeted nucleases to correct the mutations in specific DNA sequences and modify the sequence to the normal wild‑type sequence. To edit the genome at the required sites, CRISPR/Cas9 is an efficient and accurate tool that is used in various genetic engineering programs. Genome editing mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 has the ability to restore the normal β‑globin function with minimal side effects. Using CRISPR/Cas9, expression of BCL11A can be downregulated along with increased production of HbF. However, these genome editing tools are still under in‑vitro trials. CRISPR/Cas9 has can be used for precise transcriptional regulation, genome modification and epigenetic editing. Additional research is required in this regard, as CRISPR/Cas9 may potentially exhibit off‑target activity and there are legal and ethical considerations regarding its use.
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November-2020
Volume 13 Issue 5

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Spandidos Publications style
Amjad F, Fatima T, Fayyaz T, Khan MA and Qadeer MI: Novel genetic therapeutic approaches for modulating the severity of β‑thalassemia (Review). Biomed Rep 13: 48, 2020
APA
Amjad, F., Fatima, T., Fayyaz, T., Khan, M.A., & Qadeer, M.I. (2020). Novel genetic therapeutic approaches for modulating the severity of β‑thalassemia (Review). Biomedical Reports, 13, 48. https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2020.1355
MLA
Amjad, F., Fatima, T., Fayyaz, T., Khan, M. A., Qadeer, M. I."Novel genetic therapeutic approaches for modulating the severity of β‑thalassemia (Review)". Biomedical Reports 13.5 (2020): 48.
Chicago
Amjad, F., Fatima, T., Fayyaz, T., Khan, M. A., Qadeer, M. I."Novel genetic therapeutic approaches for modulating the severity of β‑thalassemia (Review)". Biomedical Reports 13, no. 5 (2020): 48. https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2020.1355