Genome Editing Essay

CRISPR is a new gene-modifying tool that has the potential to treat numerous medical conditions by editing genes that are responsible for certain diseases. This technology is based on the ability of bacteria to destroy the DNA of invading viruses. Studies have suggested that this new technology can be applied to human cells, although the idea of chopping up regions of the human genome can be unethical and could even be harmful. In order for the treatment to be administered to a patient, a small piece of RNA and an enzyme that makes a cut in the DNA are delivered to the cells. A biotechnology company, known as Editas Medicine, located in Cambridge, MA, is already designing treatments for conditions of the blood and the eye using CRISPR. For

From the science community perspective, the CRISPR-Cas system could reduce or even eliminate many of the difficulties researchers face when gene editing such as cost, duration and accuracy. Prior to CRISPR-Cas, gene editing was performed in “big labs” with experts

For many years biomedical researchers like myself have been trying to create more proactive ways to amend the genome for living cells. In more recent fieldwork studies there has been a new state of the art instrument based on bacterial CRISP in close works with protein 9 often referred to as CAS9 from the streptococcus progenies have possibly unlocked new data. The CRISP/CAS9 tries to manipulate the function of the gene using homologous recombination and RNA interference, but is set back because it can only provide short term restriction of the genes function and it’s iffy off- target effects.

CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat, referring to the repeating DNA sequences found in the genomes of microorganisms. CRISPR technology allows scientists to make precise changes in genes by splicing and replacing these DNA sequences with new ones. Through these changes, the biology of the cell is altered and possibly affects the health of an organism. The possibilities are endless as this offers opportunities in curing deadly diseases, modifying genes, and changing humanity as we know it. Although bioengineering has been around since the 1960s, CRISPR is significant because of the comparative low costs and the ease of the procedure to

The author gives a brief history of past genome editing but thoroughly explains the history and mechanism of the CRISPR technology. She elaborates on how the technology has already been used to cure diseases and speculates on its future uses and regulation.

Crispr is based on a natural system used by the bacteria to protect themselves from the infection by viruses. When the bacterium detects the presence of a viral DNA, it produces 2 types of short RNA. One of which contains a sequence that matches that of the invading viral DNA. These 2 RNAs form a complex protein called Cas9. Cas9 is a nuclease, a type of enzyme that can cut DNA. When the matching sequence, known as the guide RNA, finds the target within the viral genome, the Cas9 cuts the target DNA, disabling the virus. But this procedure can be used for any DNA sequence at a precise location by changing the guide RNA to match the

CRISPR-Cas9 is a unique technology that can be used to edit the human genome (1). Compared to other techniques of editing DNA, CRISPR and Cas9 are cheaper, faster, and more accurate. CRISPR-Cas9 gives geneticists as well as medical researchers the ability to edit specific parts of the genome by the removal, adding, or altering of certain sections of DNA sequences (1). CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and is a part of bacterial defense system (2). The two key molecules of CRISPR-Cas9 are Cas9 (an enzyme that can cut DNA at specific locations) and guide RNA (a small piece of RNA sequence that guides where the Cas9 should cut) (1). CRISPR is a crucial component

The CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-CRISPR associated protein) system is a defense mechanism found in bacteria and archaea to target and inactivate foreign DNA materials such as viral DNA. The foreign DNA is integrated into the CRISPR array. The inserted DNA, known as a spacer, is transcribed from CRISPR loci and translated into short CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs). The crRNA, also known as a guide RNA (gRNA), forms a complex with Cas9. This RNA-Cas9 complex scans for invading DNA materials complementary to the gRNA and cleaves it by Cas9, a protein encoded by CRISPR loci. Cas9 consists of an RNA binding domain, nuclease lobe for DNA cleavage, and protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) interacting sites recognizing the

Surrounded by patent and ethical issues lies a gene editing method with massive potential within the biotechnology industry. The CRISPR-Cas9 system works like ‘molecular scissors’ where Cas9 is an endonuclease that targets a specific DNA sequence (Griggs. 2015). This is more efficient than the previous methods such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), as well as being simpler to use. CRISPR-Cas9 uses single guided RNA (sgRNA) to reach the desired gene, where it is able to cleave the double stranded DNA in the presence of a Protospacer Adjacent Motif sequence (PAM sequence) (Ran et al. 2013). This is the stage where the gene can be altered via the cells own repair system due to the break in the DNA (Nehme et al. 2014). Solutions to sickle-cell anaemia, malaria and beta thalassemia are just a few of the life changing impacts this method could have in the future.

Have you ever thought about being able to pick what hair color your baby has before he or she is born? How about their eye color, their intelligence level, or their looks? What if I told you that soon this could be a possibility thanks to Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR-Cas9 is a technology that can edit DNA. It is a type of germ-line engineering that is a “search-and replace tool” that is able to alter DNA, even down to a very single letter. According to Technologyreview.com, “The CRISPR system includes a gene-snipping enzyme and a guide molecule that can be programmed to target unique combinations of the DNA letters, A, G, C, and T; get these ingredients into a cell and they

Hsu, P., Lander, E., & Zhang, F. (2014). Development and Applications of CRISPR-Cas9 for Genome Engineering. Cell, 157(6), 1262-1278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.05.010

Recently there has been much uncertainty regarding the future of disease and the human genome. Amongst the multitude of uncertainties and advancements Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, henceforth known as CRISPR, has been at the forefront. Though discovered in “in the 1980s in E. coli” confirmation purpose of this shining new advancement has caught the eye of scholars and laymen alike (Reis, Hornblower, Robb, Tzertzinis 2014). As, since its discovery, it has shown the promise of completely changing the way that we think about DNA. This is because CRISPR can be an easy and relatively inexpensive way to edit parts of living cells. More specifically, it has the potential to be a way of editing away undesirable part of the human genome with then end goal of one leading scientist in the field being “to treat diseases in humans” (Park 2016). The original intent of the developers many have been benevolent targeted editing of genomic anomalies, the implications and possibilities of future use has made both those within the science community and laymen very concerned.

The CRISPR/CAS9 is a genome engineer technique that allows one to make somewhat precise cuts of DNA within three base pairs that then allows either the insertion or deletion of DNA. CRISPR stands for “Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”, CAS9 is but one variation of the CAS proteins, and Cas9 stands for “CRISPR associated protein 9”. Cas9 is a protein that induces site-directed double strand breaks in DNA. The CRISPR/CAS9 uses a guide RNA to recognize complementary 20 nucleotide base pairs to the spacer region of the guide RNA. If the DNA is complementary to the guide-RNA, the Cas9 cleaves the DNA, allowing a portion of the genome to be deleted hence it can create a knock out gene. CRISPR/CAS 3, 9 and 10 were discovered in archaea and bacteria and they were felt to be the adaptive immune system of bacteria and archaea against bacterial phages and F-plasmids and viruses. It is considered an adaptive immune system since they discovered that bacteria with resistance to multiple phages had multiple inserts that offered immunity and in particular it was this Cas 3,9 and 10 protein that offered immunity by cleaving out the invading DNA. The technique is much more complicated than Jennifer Doundna explained in her TedTalk. However, it much less complicated than say using Zinc fingers or TALENS for

Three types of CRISPR mechanisms, the most studied type II, have been described. In Type II, DNA is infected from viruses or plasmids, subdivided into small pieces, and incorporated into a CRISPR locus between a series of short repeats (about 20 bps). The loci are transcribed

CRISPRs are often associated with cas genes that code for proteins related to CRISPRs. The CRISPR/Cas system is a prokaryotic immune system that confers resistance to foreign genetic elements such as plasmids and phages[6][7] and provides a form of acquired immunity. CRISPR spacers recognize and cut these exogenous genetic elements in a manner analogous to RNAi in eukaryotic organisms. I vividly remember that cold November morning. The torrent of rain and the howling wind made it nearly impossible to see the road ahead towards Tehran’s International Airport. I sat silently and watched the water droplets race each other across the car’s window as the windshield wipers marked each passing second. At the moment I did not understand why my family had to leave our home and our country forever. The uncertainty of moving to and