CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of the Polyomavirus Tumor Antigens Inhibits Merkel Cell Carcinoma Growth In Vitro.

ABSTRACT: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive type of skin cancer whose main causative agent is Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). MCPyV is integrated into the genome of the tumor cells in most MCCs. Virus-positive tumor cells constitutively express two viral oncoproteins that promote cell growth: the small (sT) and the large (LT) tumor antigens (TAs). Despite the success of immunotherapies in patients with MCC, not all individuals respond to these treatments. Therefore, new therapeutic options continue to be investigated. Herein, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to target the viral oncogenes in two virus-positive MCC cell lines: MS-1 and WAGA. Frameshift mutations introduced in the target sequence upon repair of the Cas9-induced DNA break resulted in decreased LT protein levels, which subsequently impai

SUBMITTER: Temblador A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6770690 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature