Depleting prion protein using splice-switching small molecules
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders driven by prion protein (PrP) misfolding, and lowering cellular PrP represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Here we report a small-molecule approach that reduces PrP by modulating pre-mRNA splicing of the PRNP gene. Through chemical modification of the clinically approved splicing modulator risdiplam, we generated CP3, the first class of compounds that selectively activate a cryptic exon in PRNP and routes its mRNA product for degradation, reducing PrP by [~]70% in cells. We demonstrate that CP3 activity critically depends on alternative splicing factor Luc7L, revealing a novel requirement for alternative splicing factors in small molecule splicing modulation. Strikingly, co-administration of CP3 with a Luc7L activator PTC258 significantly lowers PrP levels in the brains of transgenic mice. These results establish splicing modulation as a powerful strategy for PrP reduction and highlight the potential of small-molecule cooperativity for therapeutic RNA targeting.