Genome-edited adult stem cells: Next-generation advanced therapy medicinal products

Abstract

Abstract Over recent decades, gene therapy, which has enabled the treatment of several incurable diseases, has undergone a veritable revolution. Cell therapy has also seen major advances in the treatment of various diseases, particularly through the use of adult stem cells (ASCs). The combination of gene and cell therapy (GCT) has opened up new opportunities to improve advanced therapy medicinal products for the treatment of several diseases. Despite the considerable potential of GCT, the use of retroviral vectors has major limitations with regard to oncogene transactivation and the lack of physiological expression. Recently, gene therapists have focused on genome editing (GE) technologies as an alternative strategy. In this review, we discuss the potential benefits of using GE technologies to improve GCT approaches based on ASCs. We will begin with a brief summary of different GE platforms and techniques and will then focus on key therapeutic approaches that have been successfully used to treat diseases in animal models. Finally, we discuss whether ASC GE could become a real alternative to retroviral vectors in a GCT setting. Significance statement Recent advances in adult stem cells and genome editing techniques have enabled scientists to envisage the generation of efficient and safe advanced therapy medicinal products for the treatment of untreatable diseases. Hematopoietic progenitor stem cells are now clearly regarded as the cell type of reference. Promising results have been achieved in controlling AIDS and hemoglobinopathies, resulting in several clinical trials. Promising results have also been obtained in the treatment of monogenic diseases, including X-SCID, SCID-ADA, X-CGD, and Fanconi anemia, indicating that further clinical trials will be approved in the near future.