Your Body Could Be Immune to CRISPR! Is This the End of Gene Editing?
Cutting and pasting DNA to cure diseases is a medical dream come true, but CRISPR technology is facing a major roadblock: our immune systems. Doctors ...
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A lot of hay has been made about CRISPR Cas9, the gene editing technique so precise, so easy, so versatile it’s opened the possibility of chopping and swapping DNA around like a molecular level Dr. Frankenstein. The implications are huge for humans and our genome. We could alter the genes of embryos, or treat genetic maladies in those already born. Now in 2018 clinical trials on humans are scheduled to start for the first time. But just as they’re getting underway, there may be a problem thanks to our immune system. To understand why our immune system is being a jerk and preventing us from treating disorders like sickle-cell anemia, it helps to step back and remember exactly what CRISPR Cas9 is. It’s actually an immune response bacteria use to protect themselves from viruses. Cas9 is a pr...
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A lot of hay has been made about CRISPR Cas9, the gene editing technique so precise, so easy, so versatile it’s opened the possibility of chopping and swapping DNA around like a molecular level Dr. Frankenstein. The implications are huge for humans and our genome. We could alter the genes of embryos, or treat genetic maladies in those already born. Now in 2018 clinical trials on humans are scheduled to start for the first time. But just as they’re getting underway, there may be a problem thanks to our immune system. To understand why our immune system is being a jerk and preventing us from treating disorders like sickle-cell anemia, it helps to step back and remember exactly what CRISPR Cas9 is. It’s actually an immune response bacteria use to protect themselves from viruses. Cas9 is a pr...
