Advanced gene editing methods have accelerated biomedical discovery and hold great therapeutic promise, but safe and efficient delivery of gene editors remains challenging. In this study, we present a virus-like particle (VLP) system featuring nucleocytosolic shuttling vehicles that retrieve pre-assembled Cas-effectors via aptamer-tagged guide RNAs. This approach ensures preferential loading of fully assembled editor ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) and enhances the efficacy of prime editing, base editing, trans-activators, and nuclease activity coupled to homology-directed repair in multiple immortalized, primary, stem cell, and stem-cell-derived cell types. We also achieve additional protection of inherently unstable prime editing guide RNAs (pegRNAs) by shielding the 3'-exposed end with Csy4/Cas6f, further enhancing editing performance. Furthermore, we identify a minimal set of packaging and budding modules that can serve as a platform for bottom-up engineering of enveloped delivery vehicles. Notably, our system demonstrates superior per-VLP editing efficiency in primary T lymphocytes and two mouse models of inherited retinal disease, highlighting its therapeutic potential.
FörderungenUniversity of California, Irvine School of Medicine Dean's Office grant Free State of Bavaria within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government Lander through the ONE MUNICH project Munich Multiscale Biofabrication European Research Council European Innovation Council National Institutes of Health (NIH) Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine Research to Prevent Blindness award NIH German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)