Transplantation of Gene-Edited Hepatocyte-like Cells Modestly Improves Survival of Arginase-1-Deficient Mice

Progress in gene editing research has been accelerated by utilizing engineered nucleases in combination with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. Here, we report transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated reincorporation of Arg1 exons 7 and 8 in iPSCs derived from arginase-1-deficient mice possessing Arg1(Δ) alleles lacking these terminal exons. The edited cells could be induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells (iHLCs) in vitro and were subsequently used for transplantation into our previously described (Sin et al., PLoS ONE 2013) tamoxifen-inducible Arg1-Cre arginase-1-deficient mouse model. While successful gene-targeted repair was achieved in iPSCs containing Arg1(Δ) alleles, only minimal restoration of urea cycle function could be observed in the iHLC-transplanted mice compared to control mice, and survival in this lethal model was extended by up to a week in some mice. The partially rescued phenotype may be due to inadequate regenerative capacity of arginase-1-expressing cells in the correct metabolic zones. Technical hurdles exist and will need to be overcome for gene-edited iPSC to iHLC rescue of arginase-1 deficiency, a rare urea cycle disorder.