CRISPR-Cas9 was adapted from a natural genome editing system that bacteria use as an immune defense. When infected with viruses, bacteria capture small fragments of the virus' DNA and insert them into their own DNA following a particular pattern to create segments known as CRISPR matrices. To learn more about many of the scientists and teams that contributed to the understanding and development of the CRISPR system, from the initial discovery to the first demonstrations of CRISPR-mediated genome editing, visit our CRISPR timeline. Research also suggests that CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to attack and modify “typographical errors” in the three-billion-letter sequence of the human genome, in an effort to treat genetic diseases.
The CRISPR-CPF1 differs in several important ways from the Cas9 described above, with important implications for research and therapeutics. First, in its natural form, the Cas9 enzyme that cuts DNA forms a complex with two small RNAs, which are necessary for cutting activity. The Cpf1 system is simpler because it only requires a single RNA. The Cpf1 enzyme is also smaller than the standard SpCas9, making it easier to administer it to cells and tissues.
Third, Cpf1 cuts very far from the recognition site, which means that, even if the target gene mutates at the site of the cut, it is likely that it can be cut again, providing multiple opportunities for correct editing. CRISPR-Cas9 is a genome editing tool that is creating hype in the world of science. It is faster, cheaper and more accurate than previous DNA editing techniques and has a wide range of potential applications. He claims to have deactivated a gene called CCR5, which encodes a protein that allows HIV to enter cells.
Its objective was to mimic a mutation that exists in approximately 10% of Europeans and to help protect them from HIV infection. But it could have inadvertently caused mutations in other parts of the genome, which could have unpredictable health consequences. He claims not to have found such mutations. If the gene is turned off, girls could be vulnerable.
If they suffer in a way related to He's procedure, and it is discovered that he has been practicing medicine illegally, he could be sentenced to three to ten years in prison, says Zhang Peng, a criminal law professor at Wuzi University in Beijing. However, identifying those health effects could take years. The groups led by Feng Zhang and George Church simultaneously published descriptions of genome editing in human cell cultures using CRISPR-Cas9 for the first time. When a bacteriophage invades a microbe, the first stage of the immune response consists of capturing the DNA of the phage and inserting it into a spacer-shaped CRISPR locus.
In the field of genome engineering, the term “CRISPR” or “CRISPR-Cas9” is often used loosely to refer to the various CRISPR-Cas9 and -CPF1 (and others) systems that can be programmed to attack specific stretches of the genetic code and edit DNA at precise locations, as well as for other purposes, such as for new diagnostic tools. The specificity of CRISPR-based immunity for recognizing and destroying invading viruses isn't just useful for bacteria. The transcription of the interrupted repeats was also observed for the first time; this was the first complete characterization of CRISPR. The first description of what would later be called CRISPR was made by Osaka University researcher Yoshizumi Ishino and his colleagues in 1987.
For example, in a disease such as sickle cell anemia, the symptoms of the disease come from its effects on red blood cells, so researchers are trying to use CRISPR to attack those cells. One of the reasons that CRISPR is currently not useful for treating most diseases is because it is very difficult to introduce it into enough cells to cause an effect and also (as you mentioned) to specifically target cells affected by the disease. The inherent functions of the CRISPR system are advantageous for industrial processes that use bacterial cultures. We hope that one day, CRISPR will be used to treat human diseases such as Marfan syndrome, but it is not yet used for this purpose.
This is already approved in Japan and could be used much faster instead of waiting for CRISPR to be used and available. Scientists and doctors must first develop safe ways to get CRISPR to humans in order to use it as a treatment. Other systems are now available, such as CRISPR-Cas13, in which target RNA provides alternative ways of use with unique characteristics that have been exploited for sensitive diagnostic tools, such as SHERLOCK. It will be important to verify that a particular guide RNA is specific to its target gene, so that the CRISPR system does not mistakenly attack other genes.
CRISPR shows promise for both genetic and autoimmune diseases, but it will be years before CRISPR technology can be used to combat human diseases and for gene therapy. . .
