Gene Editing

CRISPR, pronounced "crispier", is a biological system for altering DNA and dubbed as one of medicine’s biggest breakthroughs.

20:57 09 June 2016

CRISPR was discovered in 2012 when a team of researchers at Berkeley, University of California was looking into bacteria and the mechanism they use in defending themselves against viral infection.

 

The biological system that can alter the DNA and dubbed as one of medicine’s biggest breakthroughs was co-discovered by biologist Professor Jennifer Doudna and her collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier. Their discovery has made them among the world’s most influential scientists today.

 

Prof Doudna said: "Since we published our work four years ago laboratories around the world have adopted this technology for applications in animals, plants, humans, fungi, other bacteria: essentially any kind of organism they are studying."

 

Since the technology is just few years old, trials have yet to begin in patients but several are already in the planning stage. Editas Medicine, a biotech firm based in Boston, aims to have a gene-editing treatment ready for clinical testing in 2017 for the treatment of rare retinal diseases called Leber congenital amaurosis in which gene mutation causes the gradual loss of photoreceptor cells in the eyes.

 

Several recently formed biotech firms are also hoping to take CRISPR technology into their clinic with the goal to boost the function of the body’s T cells so that the immune systems will become more effective in identifying and killing cancer.