Designer epigenome modifiers enable robust and sustained gene silencing in clinically relevant human cells.

ABSTRACT: Targeted modulation of gene expression represents a valuable approach to understand the mechanisms governing gene regulation. In a therapeutic context, it can be exploited to selectively modify the aberrant expression of a disease-causing gene or to provide the target cells with a new function. Here, we have established a novel platform for achieving precision epigenome editing using designer epigenome modifiers (DEMs). DEMs combine in a single molecule a DNA binding domain based on highly specific transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) and several effector domains capable of inducing DNA methylation and locally altering the chromatin structure to silence target gene expression. We designed DEMs to target two human genes, CCR5 and CXCR4, with the aim of epigenetically silencing the

SUBMITTER: Mlambo T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5961145 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature