Genetic therapy for retinal disease

8 important questions on Genetic therapy for retinal disease

What are the 4 ways of genetic therapy?

  1. Adding DNA
  2. Fixing RNA
  3. Degrading bad RNA
  4. Fixing DNA

How does gene augmentation therapy work?

Gene augmentation therapy is a form of adding DNA
You have a DNA construct consisting of:
1. Promoter --> drives expression of cDNA
2. CDNA gene --> produces wild-type protein
3. Poly-a-tail --> needed for protein synthesis

What can a mutation in RPE65 cause?

LCA (leber's congenital amaurosis) in the eye (spread all over the gene = loss-of-function)
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

When can't gene augmentation not be applied for all the genes mutated in IRD (inherited retinal diseases)?

- if the normal function/mechanism of other genes is not known
- regulating expression levels may be needed
- [gene] cDNA does possible not fit into AAV (adeno-associated viruses

What are antisense oligonucleotides (AONs)?

They can be paired to the region with the mutation, prevent pseudoexon from forming --> corrects splicing defect

What are the pro's and con's of naked-AON and AAV-AONs? (Adeno-associated viruses, antisense oligonucleotides)

Naked AON
Pro's: Easy delivery, no permanent expression, adjusting dose possible
Cons: life long injections
AAV-AON
Pro's: single surgery, long term expression
Cons: side-effects persistent, partially reaching retina

What disease is a mutation in ABCA4 causing?

Stargardt disease (STGD1)
- normally involved in transport
- malfunctioning --> accumulation of toxic waste products (lipofuscin)
- affect pre-mRNA splicing --> fixed by AON therapy

What are the three genome editing strategies?

  1. Zinc finger nucleases --> proteins, less versatile
  2. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs)
  3. CRISPR-Cas9 

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo