Correction of a recurrent pathogenic variant in methylmalonic acidemia using adenine base editing

Abstract

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a recessive genetic disease caused by variants in the MMUT (mitochondrial enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA mutase) gene or by defects in transport or metabolism of MMUT cofactor (5 deoxyadenosylcobalamin), including variants in the MMAB gene. For the most recurrent pathogenic MMAB variant, c.556C>T (R186W), we identified a corrective editing strategy using adenine base editing. Deploying an adenine base editor mRNA and optimized hybrid guide RNA with lipid nanoparticles, we observed efficient in vitro corrective editing of the variant to wild-type, with minimized bystander editing and off-target editing in hepatocytes. These observations lay the groundwork for a gene editing therapy for patients with MMA resulting from at least one copy of the MMAB c.556C>T (R186W) variant, as well as a platform of similar therapies for patients with MMA caused by other variants amenable to adenine base editing.