CRISPR-Cas System: The Current and Emerging Translational Landscape.

CRISPR-Cas technology has rapidly changed life science research and human medicine. The ability to add, remove, or edit human DNA sequences has transformative potential for treating congenital and acquired human diseases. The timely maturation of the cell and gene therapy ecosystem and its seamless integration with CRISPR-Cas technologies has enabled the development of therapies that could potentially cure not only monogenic diseases such as sickle cell anemia and muscular dystrophy, but also complex heterogenous diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

TNF-α Limits Serological Memory by Disrupting the Bone Marrow Niche.

Both infection and autoimmune disease can disrupt pre-existing Ab titers leading to diminished serological memory, yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this article, we report that TNF-α, an inflammatory cytokine, is a master regulator of the plasma cell (PC) niche in the bone marrow (BM). Acute rTNF-α treatment depletes previously existing Ab titers after vaccination by limiting PC occupancy or retention in the BM.

Longitudinally monitored immune biomarkers predict the timing of COVID-19 outcomes.

The clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection varies widely between individuals. Machine learning models can support decision making in healthcare by assessing fatality risk in patients that do not yet show severe signs of COVID-19. Most predictive models rely on static demographic features and clinical values obtained upon hospitalization.

A Combination of Receptor-Binding Domain and N-Terminal Domain Neutralizing Antibodies Limits the Generation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Neutralization-Escape Mutants.

Most known SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), including those approved by the FDA for emergency use, inhibit viral infection by targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein. Variants of concern (VOC) carrying mutations in the RBD or other regions of S reduce the effectiveness of many nAbs and vaccines by evading neutralization. Therefore, therapies that are less susceptible to resistance are urgently needed.

Single-Dilution COVID-19 Antibody Test with Qualitative and Quantitative Readouts.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to place an immense burden on societies and health care systems. A key component of COVID-19 control efforts is serological testing to determine the community prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and quantify individual immune responses to prior SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. Here, we describe a laboratory-developed antibody test that uses readily available research-grade reagents to detect SARS-CoV-2 exposure in patient blood samples with high sensitivity and specificity.

MAVERICC: Marker-free Vaccinia Virus Engineering of Recombinants through in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 Cleavage.

Vaccinia virus (VACV)-based vectors are in extensive use as vaccines and cancer immunotherapies. VACV engineering has traditionally relied on homologous recombination between a parental viral genome and a transgene-bearing transfer plasmid, an inefficient process that necessitates the use of a selection or screening marker to isolate recombinants. Recent extensions of this approach have sought to enhance the recovery of transgene-bearing viruses through the use of CRISPR-Cas9 engineering to cleave the viral genome in infected cells.

Treatment of severe COVID-19 with convalescent plasma in Bronx, NYC.

Convalescent plasma with severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies (CCP) may hold promise as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We compared the mortality and clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19 who received 200 mL of CCP with a spike protein IgG titer ≥ 1:2430 (median 1:47,385) within 72 hours of admission with propensity score-matched controls cared for at a medical center in the Bronx, between April 13 and May 4, 2020. Matching criteria for controls were age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, comorbidities, week of admission, oxygen requirement, D-dimer, lymphocyte counts, corticosteroid use, and anticoagulation use.

Treatment of Severe COVID-19 with Convalescent Plasma in the Bronx, NYC.

Convalescent plasma with severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies (CCP) may hold promise as treatment for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We compared the mortality and clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19 who received 200mL of CCP with a Spike protein IgG titer ≥1:2,430 (median 1:47,385) within 72 hours of admission to propensity score-matched controls cared for at a medical center in the Bronx, between April 13 to May 4, 2020. Matching criteria for controls were age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, comorbidities, week of admission, oxygen requirement, D-dimer, lymphocyte counts, corticosteroids, and anticoagulation use.

Torsin ATPase deficiency leads to defects in nuclear pore biogenesis and sequestration of MLF2.

Nuclear envelope herniations (blebs) containing FG-nucleoporins and ubiquitin are the phenotypic hallmark of Torsin ATPase manipulation. Both the dynamics of blebbing and the connection to nuclear pore biogenesis remain poorly understood. We employ a proteomics-based approach to identify myeloid leukemia factor 2 (MLF2) as a luminal component of the bleb.

Dynamic functional assembly of the Torsin AAA+ ATPase and its modulation by LAP1.

TorsinA is an essential AAA+ ATPase requiring LAP1 or LULL1 as cofactors. The dynamics of the Torsin/cofactor system remain poorly understood, with previous models invoking Torsin/cofactor assemblies with fixed stoichiometries. Here we demonstrate that TorsinA assembles into homotypic oligomers in the presence of ATP.

Torsin ATPases: Harnessing Dynamic Instability for Function.

Torsins are essential, disease-relevant AAA+ (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) proteins residing in the endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear space, where they are implicated in a variety of cellular functions. Recently, new structural and functional details about Torsins have emerged that will have a profound influence on unraveling the precise mechanistic details of their yet-unknown mode of action in the cell. While Torsins are phylogenetically related to Clp/HSP100 proteins, they exhibit comparatively weak ATPase activities, which are tightly controlled by virtue of an active site complementation through accessory cofactors.

Dissecting Torsin/cofactor function at the nuclear envelope: a genetic study.

The human genome encodes four Torsin ATPases, the functions of which are poorly understood. In this study, we use CRISPR/Cas9 engineering to delete all four Torsin ATPases individually and in combination. Using nuclear envelope (NE) blebbing as a phenotypic measure, we establish a direct correlation between the number of inactivated Torsin alleles and the occurrence of omega-shaped herniations within the lumen of the NE.

Torsin ATPases: structural insights and functional perspectives.

Torsin ATPases are the only members of the AAA+ ATPase family that localize to the endoplasmic reticulum and contiguous perinuclear space. Accordingly, they are well positioned to perform essential work in these compartments, but their precise functions remain elusive. Recent studies have deciphered an unusual ATPase activation mechanism relying on Torsin-associated transmembrane cofactors, LAP1 or LULL1.