The crispr vision program: nonviral genome editing platforms to treat inherited retinal channelopathies

Active Cooperative Agreement Awarded Last action

Award ID
U19NS132296
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$90,406,257

Award facts

Assistance listing
93.310 Trans-NIH Research Support
Completion date 69% complete
Funding agency
Office of the Director National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
Place of performance
Madison, WI 53715, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

Abstract
Overall the genome editing community is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of landmark crispr papers in 2022. What is notable to many in the field is tremendous technological advances in editing precision and versatility, along with a nobel prize and billions of dollars of investment. However, there is a palpable sense that these advances have not been translated into valuable drugs at a sufficient rate. In vivo gene editing still faces substantial challenges, especially when IT comes to safety, efficacy, and delivery. While the development of edit-101, a viral vector carrying CAS9 to treat a rare retinal disorder (brilliance trial), provided a clear path to the clinic for a genome editing therapeutic program, this path can be challenging to follow for others in the field interested in developing human therapeutics. Viral strategies have several limitations involving an immune response to vector elements and prolonged expression of the editor for the lifetime of the patient, heightening off-target concerns. Newer editors like base editors cannot be readily packaged into common viral vectors, plus there is a challenging supply chain for viral vector manufacturing. We seek to overcome the limitations with viral delivery systems by using novel nonviral delivery systems termed the silica nanocapsule (SNC) and target active gene editors (tage). They can efficiently deliver genome editors to the retina with high efficiency, reaching levels of 10-70% that are among the best for nonviral delivery of editors to the eye and comparable to viral delivery systems. Based on our strong published and preliminary data we propose to develop nonviral gene editing products to treat best disease (BD) and leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), two diseases affecting ION channels of the retinal pigment epithelium (i.e., RPE channelopathies). Our team, spanning academia and industry, will pursue the following aims. In overall aim 1, we evaluate the clinical readiness of a genome editor targeting a post-mitotic cell through transient, localized, and nonviral delivery. To date, outside of the liver, only viral editors have reached an IND for in vivo editing. Here, we rigorously evaluate the potential of our SNC and tage nonviral delivery systems for the treatment of LCA and BD. We invest our most significant effort into the lead project 1 that develops a base editor within a SNC. This project will reach an IND within five years and provide synergy for other projects. In overall aim 2, we create a platform that can address many rare diseases of the eye by streamlined manufacturing of different guides with a simple pipeline for preclinical testing. In overall aim 3, we provide the scge consortium and broader genome editing field a set of regulatory interactions that clarifies development path to the clinic for new gene editing therapies. Finally, through our experience with BD, we expect to learn about the regulatory path in developing somatic cell genome editors for scenarios when no suitable animal model exists. Because the majority of known pathological mutations in the eye have no suitable animal models, sharing this knowledge will have a large impact on subsequent genome editing leads.

Transactions

Action Obligated Date
Amendment $50,000
Amendment $9,843,466
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $9,843,466
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $4,343,177
Amendment $4,343,177
Amendment $4,343,177
Amendment Replication study of off-target assays for guide rnas in crispr-based therapeutics $77,750
Amendment $77,750
Amendment $77,750
Amendment $77,750
Amendment Health equity in the development of somatic cell genome editors for retinal disease $0
Amendment Replication study of off-target assays for guide rnas in crispr-based therapeutics $0
Amendment $0
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Amendment $0
Amendment $134,598
Amendment Health equity in the development of somatic cell genome editors for retinal disease $134,598
Amendment $134,598
Amendment $134,598
Amendment Replication study of off-target assays for guide rnas in crispr-based therapeutics $134,598
Amendment $6,363,061
Amendment $6,363,061
Amendment Health equity in the development of somatic cell genome editors for retinal disease $6,363,061
Amendment $6,363,061
Amendment $6,363,061
Amendment Replication study of off-target assays for guide rnas in crispr-based therapeutics $6,363,061
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment Health equity in the development of somatic cell genome editors for retinal disease $0
Amendment $0
Amendment $0
Amendment Replication study of off-target assays for guide rnas in crispr-based therapeutics $0
Amendment $6,159,146
Amendment $6,159,146
Original award $6,159,146
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Subawards

Subrecipient Amount Awarded
The Morgridge Institute For Research, Inc. The Skala Lab will be responsible for conducting fluorescence lifetime imaging, redox imaging, and data analysis to verify the function of retinal organoids. $123,301
Eidg. Technische Hochschule (Ethz) ETH-Zurich and members of the Health Ethics and Policy Lab will provide deliverables for each aim as follows: (1) Perform literature assessment and write/submit… $78,430
Spotlight Therapeutics In year 2, we will build on the accomplishments achieved in year 1, with the ultimate goal of developing a safe and effective gene editing treatment for Best… $188,966
The Morgridge Institute For Research, Inc. The Skala Lab will be responsible for conducting fluorescence lifetime imaging, redox imaging, and data analysis to verify the function of retinal organoids. $113,315
The Morgridge Institute For Research, Inc. -$113,315
University Of Massachusetts Medical School In a first stage of the work, the UMass team will design and synthesize guides in dual guide format (using up to 8 crRNAs targeting KCNJ13 paired with each of 4… $388,781
The Morgridge Institute For Research, Inc. The Skala Lab will be responsible for conducting fluorescence lifetime imaging, redox imaging, and data analysis to verify the function of retinal organoids. $113,315
Spotlight Therapeutics Overall goals: Spotlight Therapeutics (“Spotlight�) aims to develop a BEST1 TAGE (Targeted Active Gene Editors), within the scope of Follower… -$4,137,520

Quick answers

Who received award U19NS132296?

U19NS132296 was awarded to University Of Wisconsin System by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (National Institutes of Health) on May 16, 2023.

How much is award U19NS132296 worth?

$90,406,257 has been obligated on U19NS132296.

Which agency awarded U19NS132296?

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (National Institutes of Health) awarded U19NS132296, with funding from Office of the Director (National Institutes of Health).

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