Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)Jul 17, 2026

Gene Editing to Treat Alzheimer's Disease by Changing APOE4 Using Prime Editor 7

CRISPR Gene Editing Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jul 18, 2026

Abstract

The APOE4-targeting editing strategy achieved robust correction of the APOE4 allele in mice and human neurons.

The APOE4 allele is associated with increased risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease and contributes to Aβ accumulation and tau pathology.
Prime editing targeting the APOE4 allele effectively converted it to the lower-risk APOE3 variant without off-target effects.
This correction led to reduced levels of ApoE4 protein and decreased Aβ42 accumulation and tau phosphorylation in mouse models.
Neuronal survival improved, and cognitive performance was enhanced in APP/APOE4 knock-in mice following treatment.
In human neurons derived from AD patient fibroblasts, the editing strategy consistently corrected the APOE4 allele and reduced amyloid and tau pathologies.

Simplified

The apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), driving Aβ accumulation, tau pathology, and synaptic dysfunction. Allele-specific correction of APOE4 represents a promising therapeutic strategy to mitigate disease progression. In this study, we developed an APOE4-specific prime editing strategy based on an optimized APOE4-targeting pegRNA, enabling precise and efficient conversion of the APOE4 allele to the lower-risk APOE3 variant. We found that PE7 targeting the APOE4 allele achieved robust and specific editing without detectable off-target effects. This correction reduced ApoE4 protein levels and attenuated key AD-related pathologies, including Aβ42 accumulation, tau phosphorylation, and activation of the ERK1/2 pathway in APP/APOE4 knock-in (KI) mice. Notably, PE7 treatment enhanced neuronal survival and improved cognitive performance in these mice. Furthermore, in human induced neurons derived from APOE3/4 heterozygous AD patient fibroblasts, PE7 consistently corrected the APOE4 allele and suppressed both amyloid- and tau-associated pathologies. These findings establish PE7-mediated APOE4 correction as a precise and efficient therapeutic genome-editing strategy with translational potential for sporadic AD.

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Gene Editing to Treat Alzheimer's Disease by Changing APOE4 Using Prime Editor 7

Abstract

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