MORE | Spring 2023

Generating a Clonal Cell Line with an APOJ Knockout Mutation

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder destroying memory and cognition, with no sustaining treatment. AD can be studied using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and genomic modification strategies to create loss-of-function genes. Clusterin, or APOJ, is the third-greatest genetic risk factor for late-onset AD. To create an APOJ loss of function mutation, BIG-TREE, or base-edited isogenic hiPSC line generation using a transient reporter for editing enrichment, can be utilized to introduce a premature stop codon. It is hypothesized that the successful creation of the APOJ knockout line will allow for a better understanding of AD.