CRISPR screening is proving to be a robust platform for the identification and validation of new biological targets for disease treatment. It is hoped that CRISPR screens will accelerate drug development by providing more robust targets for validation than siRNA screens, for example. Much progress has been made in carrying out CRISPR screens in cell lines, but cell lines do not completely resemble physiological cell behaviour. Horizon has recently developed CRISPR screening capabilities in primary immune cells, which should aid in identifying more physiologically relevant targets.
As an example of how CRISPR screens can be used in primary immune cells, this webinar will cover in detail the development of arrayed CRISPR screens in regulatory B cells. These cells are generated by cytokine-mediated differentiation in vitro of primary B cells isolated from healthy donors. Simple endpoints, such as cytokine production and more complex endpoints, such as a T cell suppression assay, can be used to identify new genes that impact the biology of regulatory B cells.
The CRISPR libraries used in this and other arrayed screens we have carried out in primary immune cells make use of Horizon’s off-the shelf Edit-R synthetic crRNA libraries. We will also cover the use of our recently developed synthetic sgRNA libraries in primary immune cells.
Learning outcomes of this webinar:
- The development of arrayed CRISPR screens in primary immune cells with a focus on regulatory B cells.
- How these screens can be used to better understand the biology of regulatory B cells and how these cells impact diseases such as cancer.
- How CRISPR screens in primary immune cells should aid identification of new gene targets that better represent the physiology of disease in humans.
- Understand the difference between synthetic crRNA and sgRNA libraries.
Wednesday, March 10 - 4:00 PM