Terapia genica della β Talassemia mediante editing del DNA

β (HBB) gene, resulting in absence (β0) or deficiency (β+) of β globin chain synthesis. This genetic disorder occurs most frequently in people from Mediterranean countries, such as Italy. In particular, the data indicates that about 12.6% of the Sardinian subjects are carriers of β thalassemia and these are among the highest frequencies of thalassemia genes found in a Caucasian population. In Sardinia, the disease is generally determined by a nonsense mutation at codon 39 (E39X) of exon 2 causing the interruption of β globin synthesis. Patients homozygous with E39X mutation have a severe anemia and require frequent transfusions and iron chelation. The only definitive cure today possible for β chain hemoglobinopathies is the hematopoietic stem cells transplantation, but it is limited by availability of HLA matched donors. However, in the last few years new therapeutic approaches for this genetic disease are taking place. The correction of disease-causing mutation through the technique of Genome-Editing in patient-specific stem cells and subsequent autologous transplantation would be the ideal approach for the treatment of monogenic diseases such as β thalassemia. However, due to difficulties in obtaining sufficient homologous recombination percentages for therapeutic purposes, the aim of my PhD project is to reproduce artificially the HPFH mutations identified in non-coding regions of the β globin cluster, using the system CRISPR/Cas9 associated with NHEJ pathway. In this way, we hope to restore at therapeutic levels the expression of HBG genes and consequently the synthesis of a functional HbF in order to ameliorate the phenotype of β thalassemia.