Cell Reports (Aug 2020)

A Three-Way Combinatorial CRISPR Screen for Analyzing Interactions among Druggable Targets

  • Peng Zhou,
  • Becky K.C. Chan,
  • Yuk Kei Wan,
  • Chaya T.L. Yuen,
  • Gigi C.G. Choi,
  • Xinran Li,
  • Cindy S.W. Tong,
  • Sophia S.W. Zhong,
  • Jieran Sun,
  • Yufan Bao,
  • Silvia Y.L. Mak,
  • Maggie Z.Y. Chow,
  • Jien Vei Khaw,
  • Suet Yi Leung,
  • Zongli Zheng,
  • Lydia W.T. Cheung,
  • Kaeling Tan,
  • Koon Ho Wong,
  • H.Y. Edwin Chan,
  • Alan S.L. Wong

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 32, no. 6
p. 108020

Abstract

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Summary: We present a CRISPR-based multi-gene knockout screening system and toolkits for extensible assembly of barcoded high-order combinatorial guide RNA libraries en masse. We apply this system for systematically identifying not only pairwise but also three-way synergistic therapeutic target combinations and successfully validate double- and triple-combination regimens for suppression of cancer cell growth and protection against Parkinson’s disease-associated toxicity. This system overcomes the practical challenges of experimenting on a large number of high-order genetic and drug combinations and can be applied to uncover the rare synergistic interactions between druggable targets.

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