Peptide-enabled ribonucleoprotein delivery for CRISPR engineering (PERC) in primary human immune cells and hematopoietic stem cells.
Publication Year:
2025
PubMed ID:
40032999
Public Summary:
Peptide-enabled ribonucleoprotein delivery for CRISPR engineering (PERC) is a simple, efficient method for genome editing in primary human cells. Using a single peptide reagent, PERC delivers CRISPR enzymes into immune cells and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, enabling gene knockout, precise gene insertion, and base editing. Editing efficiencies can exceed 90% in primary T cells and stem and progenitor cells. Unlike electroporation, PERC requires no specialized equipment and can better preserve cell viability and characteristics, allowing repeated editing with minimal impact on cell health. The straightforward protocol uses readily available reagents and can be integrated into existing cell engineering workflows. PERC offers an accessible and versatile approach to advancing genome engineering research and the development of potential cell-based therapies.
Scientific Abstract:
Peptide-enabled ribonucleoprotein delivery for CRISPR engineering (PERC) is a new approach for ex vivo genome editing of primary human cells. PERC uses a single amphiphilic peptide reagent to mediate intracellular delivery of the same pre-formed CRISPR ribonucleoprotein enzymes that are broadly used in research and therapeutics, resulting in high-efficiency editing of stimulated immune cells and cultured hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). PERC facilitates nuclease-mediated gene knockout, precise transgene knock-in and base editing. The protocol involves mixing the CRISPR ribonucleoprotein enzyme with peptide and then incubating with cultured cells. For efficient transgene knock-in, adeno-associated virus (AAV) homology-directed repair template (HDRT) DNA may be included. In contrast to electroporation, PERC is appealing because it needs no dedicated hardware and has less impact on cell phenotype and viability. Because of the gentle nature of PERC, delivery can be performed multiple times without substantial impact to cell health or phenotype. Editing efficiencies can surpass 90% when using either Cas9 or Cas12a in primary T cells or HSPCs. After 3 h dedicated to reagent preparation, the PERC delivery step can be completed in 1 h, with the associated cell culture steps taking 3-7 d total. Because the protocol calls for only three readily available reagents (protein, RNA and peptide) and does not require dedicated hardware for any step, PERC demands no special expertise and is exceptionally straightforward to adopt. The inherent compatibility of PERC with established cell engineering pipelines makes the protocol appealing for rapid deployment in research and clinical settings.