“CUTTING”-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

The University of Pennsylvania is conducting a clinical trial using CRISPR for treating cancer patients. The protein Cas9 is an enzyme that is introduced into the DNA of the embryo and acts like a pair of molecular scissors, to cut strands of DNA to remove undesirable genes. Once cut, the DNA is naturally self-repaired, or the scientist repair the cut by introducing a DNA template. This allows the scientists to add any specific gene they want. Immune system cells were removed from 18 cancer patients to be genetically modified and then placed back into the patient. It is believed that these new, modified cells would target and destroy the unwanted cancer cells. 3 of the patients were successfully treated. Currently, CRISPR is still a new technology that is still being tested for safety and functionality. The outcome of such experiments is not fully known yet.

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Sources:

Stein, Rob. “First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway.” NPR. NPR, April 16, 2019. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/04/16/712402435/first-u-s-patients-treated-with-crispr-as-gene-editing-human-trials-get-underway.

Vidyasagar, Aparna. “What Is CRISPR?” LiveScience. Purch, April 21, 2018. https://www.livescience.com/58790-crispr-explained.html.

Penn Today Staff, and Perelman School of Medicine. “Positive Results in First-in-U.S. Trial of CRISPR-Edited Immune Cells.” Penn Today, November 7, 2019. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/positive-results-first-us-trial-crispr-edited-immune-cells.

DNA Scalpel. Crispr Goes Global: A Snapshot of Rules, Policies, and Attitudes. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, June 5, 2018. https://thebulletin.org/2018/06/crispr-goes-global-a-snapshot-of-rules-policies-and-attitudes/.