Whole-exome sequencing-based mutational profiling of hepatocellular adenoma malignant transformation to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) represents a rare benign hepatic neoplasm with potential for malignant transformation into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the genomic landscape of this process to identify therapeutic strategies for blocking malignant transformation. Using micro-detection techniques, we obtained specimens of adenoma, cancerous neoplasm and adjacent normal liver from three patients undergoing hepatic resection surgery. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed, and genomic interactions between HCA and HCC components within the same tumour were evaluated using somatic variant calling, copy number variation (CNV) analysis, clonality evaluation and mutational signature analysis. Our results revealed genomic heterogeneity among patient cases, yet within each sample, HCA and HCC tissues exhibited a similar mutational landscape, suggesting a high degree of homology. Using nonnegative matrix factorization and phylogenetic trees, we identified shared and distinct mutational characteristics and uncovering necessary pathways associated with HCA-HCC malignant transformation. Remarkably, we found that HCA and HCC shared a common monoclonal origin while displaying significant genetic diversity within HCA-HCC tumours, indicating fundamental genetic connections or evolutionary pathways between the two. Moreover, elevated immune therapy-related markers in these patients suggested heightened sensitivity to immune therapy, providing novel avenues for the treatment of hepatic malignancies. This study sheds light on the genetic mechanisms underlying HCA-HCC progression, offering potential targets for therapeutic intervention and highlighting the promise of immune-based therapies in managing hepatic malignancies.

Evidence of promoting effects of 6:2 Cl-PFESA on hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation in humans: An ideal alternative for PFOS in terms of environmental health?

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals, encompassing compounds like perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which have widespread applications across various industries, including food packaging and firefighting. In recent years, China has increasingly employed 6:2 Cl-PFESA as an alternative to PFOS. Although the association between PFAS exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been demonstrated, the underlying mechanisms that promote HCC proliferation are uncleared. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects and differences of PFOS and 6:2 Cl-PFESA on HCC proliferation through in vivo and in vitro tumor models. Our results reveal that both PFOS and 6:2 Cl-PFESA significantly contribute to HCC proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Exposure led to reduced population doubling times, enlarged cell colony sizes, enhanced DNA synthesis efficiency, and a higher proportion of cells undergoing mitosis. Furthermore, both PFOS and 6:2 Cl-PFES) have been shown to activate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and inhibit necroptosis. This action consequently enhances the proliferation of HCC cells. Our phenotypic assay findings suggest that the tumorigenic potential of 6:2 Cl-PFESA surpasses that of PFOS; in a subcutaneous tumor model using nude mice, the mean tumor weight for the 6:2 Cl-PFESA-treated cohort was 2.33 times that observed in the PFOS cohort (p < 0.01). Despite 6:2 Cl-PFESA being considered a safer substitute for PFOS, the pronounced effects of this chemical on HCC cell growth warrant a thorough assessment of hepatotoxicity risks linked to its usage.

Saracatinib prompts hemin-induced K562 erythroid differentiation but suppresses erythropoiesis of hematopoietic stem cells.

Human myeloid leukemia cells (such as K562) could be used for the study of erythropoiesis, and mature erythroid markers and globins could be induced during leukemia cell differentiation; however, the pathways involved are different compared with those of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).We identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of K562 cells and HSCs associated with stem cells and erythroid differentiation. Furthermore, we showed that hemin-induced differentiation of K562 cells could be induced by serum starvation or treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor saracatinib. However, erythroid differentiation of HSCs was inhibited by the deprivation of the important serum component erythropoietin (EPO) or treatment with saracatinib. Finally, we found that the mRNA expression of K562 cells and HSCs was different during saracatinib-treated erythroid differentiation, and the DEGs of K562 cells and HSCs associated with tyrosine-protein kinase were identified.These findings elucidated the cellular phenomenon of saracatinib induction during erythroid differentiation of K562 cells and HSCs, and the potential mechanism is the different mRNA expression profile of tyrosine-protein kinase in K562 cells and HSCs.

Activation of γ-globin expression by LncRNA-mediated ERF promoter hypermethylation in ß-thalassemia.

The mechanism that drives the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin (Hb) provides a therapeutic target for ß-thalassemia. We have previously identified that hypermethylation of transcription factor ERF promoter reactivated γ-globin expression. To uncover the mechanism underlying the hypermethylation of ERF promoter, we performed RNA sequencing in ß0/ß0-thalassemia patients and identified an upregulated long noncoding RNA (RP11-196G18.23) associated with HbF production. RP11-196G18.23 bound to the ERF promoter and recruited DNA methyltransferase 3A to promote DNA hypermethylation-mediated ERF downregulation, thereby ameliorating ERF-induced γ-globin inactivation. The identification of RP11-196G18.23 provides an epigenetic mechanism for the reactivation of fetal γ-globin expression for ß-hemoglobinopathies.

Tissue-specific populations from amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells manifest variant in vitro and in vivo properties.

Amniotic fluid derived mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs), shed along the fetal development, exhibit superior multipotency and immunomodulatory properties compared to MSCs derived from other somatic tissues (e.g., bone marrow and fat). However, AFMSCs display heterogeneity due to source ambiguity, making them an underutilized stem cells source for translational clinical trials. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify a method to purify the AFMSCs for clinical use. We found that the AFMSCs can be categorized into three distinct groups: kidney-specific AFMSCs (AFMSCs-K), lung-specific AFMSCs (AFMSCs-L), and AFMSCs with an undefined tissue source (AFMSCs-X). This classification was based on tissue-specific gene expression pattern of single cell colony. Additionally, we observed that AFMSCs-X, a minority population within the AFMSCs, exhibited the highest multipotency, proliferation, resistance to senescence and immuno-modulation. Our results showed that AFMSCs-X significantly improved survival rates and reduced bacterial colony forming units (CFU) in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced septic mice. Therefore, our study introduces a novel classification method to enhance the consistency and efficacy of AFMSCs. These subpopulations, originating from different tissue source, may offer a valuable and innovative resource of cells for regenerative medicine purposes.

Environment relevant exposure of perfluorooctanoic acid accelerates the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathway.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a synthetic alkyl chain fluorinated compound, has emerged as a persistent organic pollutant of grave concern, casting a shadow over both ecological integrity and humans. Its insidious presence raises alarms due to its capacity to bioaccumulate within the human liver, potentially paving the treacherous path toward liver cancer. Yet, the intricate mechanisms underpinning PFOA's role in promoting the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain shrouded in ambiguity. Here, we determined the proliferation and transcription changes of HCC after PFOA exposure through integrated experiments including cell culture, nude mice tests, and colony-forming assays. Based on our findings, PFOA effectively promotes the proliferation of HCC cells within the experimental range of concentrations, both in vivo and in vitro. The proliferation efficiency of HCC cells was observed to increase by approximately 10% due to overexposure to PFOA. Additionally, the cancer weight of tumor-bearing nude mice increased by 87.0% (p < 0.05). We systematically evaluated the effects of PFOA on HCC cells and found that PFOA's exposure can selectively activate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/4E-BP1 signaling pathway, thereby playing a pro-cancer effect on HCC cells Confirmation echoed through western blot assays and inhibitor combination analyses. These insights summon a response to PFOA's dual nature as both an environmental threat and a promoter of liver cancer. Our work illuminates the obscured domain of PFOA-induced hepatoxicity, shedding light on its ties to hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

N6 -methyladenosine-modified circSTX6 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the HNRNPD/ATF3 axis and encoding a 144 amino acid polypeptide.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a significant role in the initiation and progression of various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Circular syntaxin 6 (circSTX6, also known as hsa_circ_0007905) has been identified as a microRNA (miRNA) sponge in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, its full range of functions in terms of protein scaffold and translation remain largely unexplored in the context of HCC. METHODS: The expression of circSTX6 and its encoded protein was examined in HCC tumour tissues. N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) on circSTX6 was verified and quantified by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (Me-RIP), RIP and dual luciferase reporter assays. The biological functions of circSTX6 and its encoded protein in HCC were clarified by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Mechanistically, the interaction between circSTX6 and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D (HNRNPD) was investigated by RNA pull-down, RIP and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)/IF. The regulatory effects of circSTX6 and HNRNPD on activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) mRNA were determined by mRNA stability and RIP assays. Furthermore, the presence of circSTX6-encoded protein was verified by mass spectrometry. RESULTS: CircSTX6 and its encoded 144 amino acid polypeptide, circSTX6-144aa, were highly expressed in HCC tumour tissues and served as independent risk factors for overall survival in HCC patients. The expression of circSTX6 was regulated by METTL14 in an m6 A-dependent manner. Functionally, circSTX6 accelerated HCC proliferation and tumourigenicity and reinforced tumour metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circSTX6 acted as a sponge for HNRNPD protein, facilitating its binding to ATF3 mRNA, consequently promoting ATF3 mRNA decay. Meanwhile, circSTX6-144aa promoted HCC proliferation, migration and invasion independent of circSTX6 itself. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our study reveals that m6 A-modified circSTX6 drives malignancy in HCC through the HNRNPD/ATF3 axis, while its encoded circSTX6-144aa contributes to HCC progression independent of circSTX6. CirSTX6 and its encoded protein hold promise as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC.

A novel immunogenic cell death-related genes signature for predicting prognosis, immune landscape and immunotherapy effect in hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Immunogenic cell death (ICD) has emerged as a promising strategy to activate the adaptive immune response, modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and enhance the efficacy of immune therapy. However, the relationship between ICD and TME reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poorly understood. METHODS: Transcriptional profiles and clinical spectrum of 486 HCC patients were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. We utilized consensus clustering analysis to construct two distinct molecular subtypes and established an ICD-based scoring system (named ICD score) via WGCNA and LASSO Cox regression to predict the prognosis of the HCC cohort. Then we employed CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE methods to analyze the immune landscape of ICD score in HCC. Subsequently, the immunophenoscore (IPS) and tumor immune dysfunction and rejection (TIDE) analyses were performed to determine whether the ICD score could influence the immune therapeutic effect. Based on the ICD scoring system, a novel nomogram was generated to provide a numerical probability of HCC patients' overall survival (OS). RESULTS: We identified two independent ICD clusters (cluster A/B), and cluster B possessed a worse prognosis and higher immune cell infiltration. Using ICD scoring system, the HCC patients were divided into high- and low-ICD-score groups. Through integrative analyses, the high-ICD cohort owned advanced TNM stage, high pathologic grade and increased suppressive immune cell enrichment. We developed a nomogram containing the ICD score, demonstrating a high predictive accuracy with a C-index of 0.703. We further discovered that PSMD2 and PSMD14 could serve as ICD-associated prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC. CONCLUSION: The ICD score exhibits a high degree of reliability for predicting prognosis and may provide valuable guidance for the selection of immunotherapy for HCC patients. This novel scoring system enables the estimation of clinical immunotherapy response for HCC patients, offering new opportunities for personalized immunotherapy.

ST6GALNAC4 promotes hepatocellular carcinogenesis by inducing abnormal glycosylation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal tumor types worldwide. Glycosylation has shown promise in the study of tumor mechanisms and treatment. The glycosylation status of HCC and the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully elucidated. Using bioinformatic analysis we obtained a more comprehensive characterization of glycosylation of HCC. Our analysis presented that high glycosylation levels might correlate with tumor progression and poor prognosis. Subsequent Experiments identified key molecular mechanisms for ST6GALNAC4 promoting malignant progression by inducing abnormal glycosylation. We confirmed the contribution of ST6GALNAC4 to proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that ST6GALNAC4 may be induced abnormal TGFBR2 glycosylation, resulting in the higher protein levels of TGFBR2 and TGF[Formula: see text] pathway increased activation. Our study also provided a further understand of immunosuppressive function of ST6GALNAC4 through T antigen-galectin3+ TAMs axis. This study has provided one such possibility that galectin3 inhibitors might be an acceptable treatment choice for HCC patients with high T antigen expression.

Antitumor mechanism of cannabidiol hidden behind cancer hallmarks.

Cannabinoids have been utilized for recreational and therapeutic purposes for over 4,000 years. As the primary ingredient in exogenous cannabinoids, Cannabidiol (CBD) has drawn a lot of interest from researchers due to its negligible psychotropic side effects and potential tumor-suppressing properties. However, the obscure mechanisms that underlie them remain a mystery. Complex biological mechanisms are involved in the progression of cancer, and malignancies have a variety of acquired biological capabilities, including sustained proliferation, death evasion, neovascularization, tissue invasion and metastasis, immune escape, metabolic reprogramming, induction of tumor-associated inflammation, cancerous stemness and genomic instability. Nowadays, the role of CBD hidden in these hallmarks is gradually revealed. Nevertheless, flaws or inconsistencies in the recent studies addressing the anti-cancer effects of CBD still exist. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the potential mechanisms underlying the role of CBD in a range of tumor-acquired biological capabilities. We propose potential drugs that may have a synergistic effect with CBD and provide optional directions for future research.

m6A-modification regulated circ-CCT3 acts as the sponge of miR-378a-3p to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

Background: Circular RNA (circRNA) plays a critical role in tumour progression. Circ-CCT3, a particularly abundant circRNA, was proposed to be involved in tumorigenesis. However, the role of circ-CCT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma remains elusive.Methods: Here, circ-CCT3 (a circRNA derived from exons 3, 4 and 5 of the CCT3 gene, hsa_circ_0004680) was identified by circRNA microarray and validated by qRT-PCR. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) was performed to confirm the binding between ALKBH5 along with METTL3 and circ-CCT3. Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) was used to detect the N6-methyladenosine (m 2A) levels of circ-CCT3. CircRNAs in vivo precipitation, luciferase reporter assay, biotin-coupled microRNA capture, and fluorescence in situ hybridization were conducted to assess the interaction between circ-CCT3 and miR-378a-3p. The functions of circ-CCT3 in HCC were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.Results: We demonstrated that circ-CCT3 was highly expressed in HCC which indicated the poor prognosis. Circ-CCT3 expression served as an independent risk factor for overall survival in patients with HCC. Knocking-down of circ-CCT3 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of HCC cells, and angiogenesis of HUVEC. Mechanistically, ALKBH5 and METTL3 could bind and regulate m A-modification of circ-CCT3. Further, circ-CCT3 upregulated the expression of FLT-1 by sponging miR-378a-3p.Conclusions: Circ-CCT3 was significantly up-regulated in HCC and promoted liver cancer development via miR-378a-3p-FLT1 axis. It was also found that circ-CCT3 was under m A-modification mediated by ALKBH5 and METTL3. Our study highlights circ-CCT3 as a potential therapeutic target of HCC treatment, which provides a novel understanding on mechanisms of circRNAs in HCC progression.

Mitochondrial TSPO Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression through Ferroptosis Inhibition and Immune Evasion.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies with poor prognosis, and novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. Mitochondria are key regulators of cellular homeostasis and potential targets for tumor therapy. Here, the role of mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) in the regulation of ferroptosis and antitumor immunity is investigated and the potential therapeutic implications for HCC are assessed. TSPO is highly expressed in HCC and associated with poor prognosis. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments present that TSPO promotes HCC cell growth, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. In addition, TSPO inhibits ferroptosis in HCC cells via enhancing the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant defense system. Mechanistically, TSPO directly interacts with P62 and interferes with autophagy, leading to the accumulation of P62. The P62 accumulation competes with KEAP1, preventing it from targeting Nrf2 for proteasomal degradation. Furthermore, TSPO promotes HCC immune escape by upregulating PD-L1 expression through Nrf2-mediated transcription. Notably, TSPO inhibitor PK11195 combines with anti-PD-1 antibody showing a synergistic anti-tumor effect in a mouse model. Overall, the results demonstrated that mitochondrial TSPO promotes HCC progression by inhibiting ferroptosis and antitumor immunity. Targeting TSPO can be a promising new strategy for HCC treatment.

LncRNA GAS5 suppresses TGF-ß1-induced transformation of pulmonary pericytes into myofibroblasts by recruiting KDM5B and promoting H3K4me2/3 demethylation of the PDGFRα/ß promoter.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition that may cause persistent pulmonary damage. The transformation of pericytes into myofibroblasts has been recognized as a key player during IPF progression. This study aimed to investigate the functions of lncRNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) in myofibroblast transformation during IPF progression. METHODS: We created a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) via intratracheal administration of bleomycin. Pericytes were challenged with exogenous transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1). To determine the expression of target molecules, we employed quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. The pathological changes in the lungs were evaluated via H&E and Masson staining. Furthermore, the subcellular distribution of GAS5 was examined using FISH. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, ChIP, RNA pull-down, and RIP experiments were conducted to determine the molecular interaction. RESULTS: GAS5 expression decreased whereas PDGFRα/ß expression increased in the lungs of IPF patients and mice with bleomycin-induced PF. The in vitro overexpression of GAS5 or silencing of PDGFRα/ß inhibited the TGF-ß1-induced differentiation of pericytes to myofibroblasts, as evidenced by the upregulation of pericyte markers NG2 and desmin as well as downregulation of myofibroblast markers α-SMA and collagen I. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that GAS5 recruited KDM5B to promote H3K4me2/3 demethylation, thereby suppressing PDGFRα/ß expression. In addition, KDM5B overexpression inhibited pericyte-myofibroblast transformation and counteracted the promotional effect of GAS5 knockdown on pericyte-myofibroblast transformation. Lung fibrosis in mice was attenuated by GAS5 overexpression but promoted by GAS5 deficiency. CONCLUSION: GAS5 represses pericyte-myofibroblast transformation by inhibiting PDGFRα/ß expression via KDM5B-mediated H3K4me2/3 demethylation in IPF, identifying GAS5 as an intervention target for IPF.

PAK2 is essential for chromosome alignment in metaphase I oocytes.

As a highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine kinase, p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2) participates in diverse biologic events. However, its roles in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation remain unclear. The present study revealed that mouse oocytes depleted of Pak2 were unable to completely progress through meiosis and that a majority were arrested at metaphase I. Pak2 depletion thus prompted MI arrest and induced meiotic chromosome alignment defects in mouse oocytes, in part due to a reduction in polo-like kinase (PLK1). We demonstrated that PAK2's interaction with PLK1 protected it from degradation by APC/CCdh1, and that it promoted meiotic progression and bipolar spindle formation. Our data collectively display critical functions for PAK2 in meiotic progression and chromosome alignment in mouse oocytes.

Infection evaluation in the early period after liver transplantation: A single-center exploration.

BACKGROUND: Infection is a significant risk factor that impacts for perioperative morbidity and mortality in liver transplantation (LTx) patients and is difficult to evaluate quantitatively in the early posttransplantation period. Thus, a biomarker to assess the risk of infection and the prognosis of the recipient is highly desirable. METHODS: A total of 128 consecutive patients with end-stage liver diseases undergoing LTx between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were screened retrospectively. Graft preservation fluid and blood samples were collected for culture, and other perioperative laboratory examination results were recorded, for assessment of infection status. RESULTS: After a follow-up period of 30 days, the survival rate among the 128 LTx recipients was 94.5%. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the logarithmically transformed neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (HR = 3.548, 95% CI: ; p = .041) on post-LTx day 1 and graft preservation fluid culture positivity (HR = 12.032, 95% CI: ; p = .006) were independent predictive factors for early prognosis after LTx. CONCLUSIONS: Positive graft preservation fluid culture and the logarithmically transformed NLR on post-LTx day 1 were independent predictive factors for early prognosis after LTx. The logarithmically transformed NLR could provide an earlier indication than culture results in clinical practice.

Validation of the DNA Methylation Landscape of TFF1/TFF2 in Gastric Cancer.

As one of the most frequently occurring tumor types, the increasing incidence of gastric cancer (GC) has been observed in the past decades. The recent studies have illustrated that epigenetic modifications mediated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are the major epigenetic hallmark in GC progression. Nowadays, DNA methylation was considered to be necessary for inducing the silence of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). As an important group of peptides, the TFF family has been confirmed to function as a TSG in various kinds of cancers. However, whether TFFs could be modified by DNA methylation in gastric cancer remains unknown. Here, we initially screened out two transcriptional sequencing profiles about GC from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The lower expression levels of TFF1 and TFF2 were observed in GC tumor tissues as compared to those in normal tissues. Additionally, utilizing the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the expressions of TFF1 and TFF2 were identified to be associated with the prognosis of GC patients. Subsequently, the integrative analysis was performed to estimate the DNA methylation level of each site in TFF1/TFF2 CpG islands. Importantly, our findings indicated that hyper-methylation of cg01886855 and cg26403416 were separately responsible for the downregulation of TFF1 and TFF2 in GC samples. In addition, utilizing the experiments in vitro, we demonstrated that TFF1/TFF2 could suppress the proliferation of GC cells. Based on these results, we suspected that TFF1/TFF2 could potentially act as the putative tumor suppressor in GC, and these two TFFs were of great value for predicting the overall survival (OS) status in the gastric cancer cohort. Totally, our findings revealed a potential therapeutic method for targeting the TFFs for the treatment of GC.

Induction of Fetal Hemoglobin by Introducing Natural Hereditary Persistence of Fetal Hemoglobin Mutations in the γ-Globin Gene Promoters for Genome Editing Therapies for ß-Thalassemia.

Reactivation of γ-globin expression is a promising therapeutic approach for ß-hemoglobinopathies. Here, we propose a novel Cas9/AAV6-mediated genome editing strategy for the treatment of ß-thalassemia: Natural HPFH mutations -113A > G, -114C > T, -117G>A, -175T > C, -195C > G, and -198T > C were introduced by homologous recombination following disruption of BCL11A binding sites in HBG1/HBG2 promoters. Precise on-target editing and significantly increased γ-globin expression during erythroid differentiation were observed in both HUDEP-2 cells and primary HSPCs from ß-thalassemia major patients. Moreover, edited HSPCs maintained the capacity for long-term hematopoietic reconstitution in B-NDG hTHPO mice. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of introducing naturally occurring HPFH mutations as a genetic therapy for ß-thalassemia.