Biology subjects

Kustin, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Kustin, T..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

In vivo engineered B cells retain memory and secrete high titers of anti-HIV antibodies in mice

As a potential single-shot HIV therapy, transplanted engineered B cells allow robust secretion of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). However, ex vivo engineering of autologous B cells is expensive and requires specialized facilities, while allogeneic B cell therapy necessitates MHC compatibility. Here, we develop in vivo B cell engineering, by injecting two adeno associated viral vectors, one coding for saCas9 and another coding for a bNAb. Following immunizations, we demonstrate memory retention and bNAb secretion at neutralizing titers. We observed minimal CRISPR/Cas9 off-target cleavage, using unbiased CHANGE-Seq analysis, while on-target cleavage at undesired tissues is reduced by expressing saCas9 from a B cell specific promoter. In vivo B cell engineering is thus a safe, potent and scalable method for expressing desired antibodies against HIV and beyond. One sentence summaryB cells can be engineered in vivo to robustly secrete anti-HIV bNAbs in a safe, durable and scalable manner.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2018

AccuNGS: a sequencing protocol for detection of ultra-rare variants reveals extensive variation in HIV during first days of infection

Mutations fuel evolution and facilitate adaptation to novel environments. However, characterizing the spectrum of mutations in a population is obscured by high error rates of next generation sequencing. Here, we present AccuNGS, a novel in vivo sequencing approach that detects variants as rare as 1:10,000. Applying it to 46 clinical samples taken from early infections of the human-infecting viruses HIV, RSV and CMV, revealed large differences in within-host genetic diversity among virus populations. Haplotype reconstruction revealed that increased diversity was mostly driven by multiple transmitted/founder viruses in HIV and CMV samples. Conversely, we detected an abundance of defective virus genomes (DVGs) in RSV samples, including hyper-edited genomes, nonsense mutations and single point deletions. Higher proportions of DVGs correlated with increased viral loads, suggesting increased cellular co-infection rates, which enable DVG persistence. AccuNGS establishes a general platform that allows detecting DVGs, and in general, rare variants that drive evolution.

bioinformatics↗