CRISPR Gene-Edited Cells Get First Human Test
Chinese scientists say that have tested a revolutionary, but controversial, gene-editing technique in a living person for the first time. Until now, the technique known as CRISPR/Cas9, had only been tested in lab animals. But this latest news reported in the journal Nature could stoke the fires already burning under US-based researchers, who want to use the gene-editing tool to treat disease.
The Chinese team, lead by oncologist Lu You at Sichuan University in Chengdu, used CRISPR/Cas9 to treat a patient with non-small-cell lung cancer as a part of a clinical trial. This could be the first step toward completely new cancer therapies.
Heralded as one of the biggest biotechnology breakthroughs of the century, the CRISPR/Cas9 technique allows scientists to repair broken genes more easily and more efficiently than previous methods. It starts with an RNA molecule that matches the DNA sequence of a targeted gene. The RNA works like a guide, bringing the enzyme Cas9 to the damaged bit of DNA, where it's used to snip out the damage, replace it or repair it.
more
http://www.seeker.com/crispr-gene-edited-cells-get-first-human-test-2096129169.html?sf42872421=1