Trio deep-sequencing does not reveal unexpected off-target and on-target mutations in Cas9-edited rhesus monkeys.

Luo, Xin; He, Yaoxi; Zhang, Chao; He, Xiechao; Yan, Lanzhen; Li, Min; Hu, Ting; Hu, Yan et al. · Nat Commun · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

CRISPR-Cas9 is a widely-used genome editing tool, but its off-target effect and on-target complex mutations remain a concern, especially in view of future clinical applications. Non-human primates (NHPs) share close genetic and physiological similarities with humans, making them an ideal preclinical model for developing Cas9-based therapies. However, to our knowledge no comprehensive in vivo off-target and on-target assessment has been conducted in NHPs. Here, we perform whole genome trio sequencing of Cas9-treated rhesus monkeys. We only find a small number of de novo mutations that can be explained by expected spontaneous mutations, and no unexpected off-target mutations (OTMs) were detected. Furthermore, the long-read sequencing data does not detect large structural variants in the target region.

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