{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:47:58Z","timestamp":1787028478222,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,2]],"date-time":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1643760000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002428","name":"FWF Austrian Science Fund","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["P22039-B12"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P22039-B12"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002428","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Mutations within the COL7A1 gene underlie the inherited recessive subtype of the blistering skin disease dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Although gene replacement approaches for genodermatoses are clinically advanced, their implementation for RDEB is challenging and requires endogenous regulation of transgene expression. Thus, we are using spliceosome-mediated RNA trans-splicing (SMaRT) to repair mutations in COL7A1 at the mRNA level. Here, we demonstrate the capability of a COL7A1-specific RNA trans-splicing molecule (RTM), initially selected using a fluorescence-based screening procedure, to accurately replace COL7A1 exons 1 to 64 in an endogenous setting. Retroviral RTM transduction into patient-derived, immortalized keratinocytes resulted in an increase in wild-type transcript and protein levels, respectively. Furthermore, we revealed accurate deposition of recovered type VII collagen protein within the basement membrane zone of expanded skin equivalents using immunofluorescence staining. In summary, we showed for the first time the potential of endogenous 5\u2032 trans-splicing to correct pathogenic mutations within the COL7A1 gene. Therefore, we consider 5\u2032 RNA trans-splicing a suitable tool to beneficially modulate the RDEB-phenotype, thus targeting an urgent need of this patient population.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms23031732","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,3]],"date-time":"2022-02-03T05:42:33Z","timestamp":1643866953000},"page":"1732","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["5\u2032RNA Trans-Splicing Repair of COL7A1 Mutant Transcripts in Epidermolysis Bullosa"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Elisabeth","family":"Mayr","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael","family":"Ablinger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8130-8394","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Lettner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eva M.","family":"Murauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8232-5068","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christina","family":"Guttmann-Gruber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8558-9031","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Josefina","family":"Pi\u00f1\u00f3n Hofbauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefan","family":"Hainzl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manfred","family":"Kaiser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfred","family":"Klausegger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Johann W.","family":"Bauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"},{"name":"Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6285-1789","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ulrich","family":"Koller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8705-3890","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Verena","family":"Wally","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"614","DOI":"10.1111\/bjd.18921","article-title":"Consensus reclassification of inherited epidermolysis bullosa and other disorders with skin fragility","volume":"183","author":"Has","year":"2020","journal-title":"Br. 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