🔅 CRISPR
– CRISPR is a technology that can be used to edit genes and, as such, will likely change the world.
– The essence of CRISPR is simple: it’s a way of finding a specific bit of DNA inside a cell. After that, the next step in CRISPR gene editing is usually to alter that piece of DNA. However, CRISPR has also been adapted to do other things too, such as turning genes on or off without altering their sequence.
– CRISPR was adapted for use in the laboratory from naturally occurring genome editing systems found in bacteria. These bacteria use CRISPR to defend themselves against viruses by cutting their DNA and destroying them.
– Scientists have learned how to program CRISPR to target any DNA sequence they want and modify it in various ways.
– CRISPR has many applications in different fields, such as biology, medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.
For example, CRISPR can be used to create new models of diseases, develop new drugs, correct genetic defects, enhance crop traits, or engineer new organisms.
– CRISPR is also a controversial technology because it raises ethical and social issues, such as the safety, regulation, and morality of altering life. Some people are concerned about the potential risks and consequences of using CRISPR on humans, animals, or the environment. Others are optimistic about the benefits and opportunities that CRISPR can offer for improving health and well-being.
CRISPR Applications
– CRISPR is a powerful gene-editing tool that can be used for various applications in medicine, such as creating disease models, screening for drug targets, and developing gene therapies.
– Here are some examples of CRISPR applications in medicine:
• CRISPR can be used to create accurate and complex models of diseases, such as leukemia, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, by introducing specific genetic mutations or corrections in cells or animals.
– These models can help researchers understand the molecular mechanisms of diseases and test potential treatments.
– For example, CRISPR was used to create iPSC-neurons with Alzheimer's disease-associated mutations and their corrected counterparts.
• CRISPR can be used to perform high-throughput screening of genes, pathways, and molecular mechanisms that are involved in biological processes and diseases.
– By introducing various genetic perturbations into a pool of cells and measuring their response to a biological challenge, CRISPR can help identify genes that confer resistance or sensitivity to the challenge. This can help discover new drug targets and biomarkers for diseases. For example, CRISPR was used to screen for genes that modulate the response of cancer cells to immunotherapy.
• CRISPR can be used to develop gene therapies for treating genetic diseases, infectious diseases, and cancers.
– By delivering CRISPR components into target cells or tissues, CRISPR can edit or correct faulty genes, insert therapeutic genes, or disrupt harmful genes.
– This can restore normal function or confer protection to the cells or tissues. For example, CRISPR was used to treat HIV infection by disrupting the HIV receptor gene CCR5 in human cells.
