Targeting of the Human F8 at the Multicopy rDNA Locus in Hemophilia A Patient-Derived iPSCs Using TALENickases

Hemophilia A (HA) is a monogenic disease due to lack of the clotting factor VIII (FVIII). This deficiency may lead to spontaneous joint hemorrhages or life-threatening bleeding but there is no cure for HA until very recently. In this study, we derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from patients with severe HA and used transcription activator-like effector nickases (TALENickases) to target the factor VIII gene (F8) at the multicopy ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus in HA-iPSCs, aiming to rescue the shortage of FVIII protein. The results revealed that more than one copy of the exogenous F8 could be integrated into the rDNA locus. Importantly, we detected exogenous F8 mRNA and FVIII protein in targeted HA-iPSCs. After they were differentiated into endothelial cells (ECs), the exogenous FVIII protein was still detectable. Thus, it is showed that the multicopy rDNA locus could be utilized as an effective target site in patient-derived iPSCs for gene therapy. This strategy provides a novel iPSCs-based therapeutic option for HA and other monogenic diseases.