Post-Transcriptional RNA Editing

Genome editing is a huge leap forward in science and medicine. Because of recent advances in technology, the study of genes and induced ‘point’ mutations have led to the discovery and advancement of methods previously used in order to mutate genes. The development of Clusters of Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR associated system 9 protein (Cas9) technology is a hugely significant leap forward as this is a tool that could potentially be used for the research into and hopefully the treatment of a range of medical conditions that are genetically related. Cystic fibrosis (Schwank, G. et al, 2013), haemophilia and sickle cell disease are an example of some of the conditions that have the

I found Weintraub’s article to be the most down to earth and approachable when it comes to the topic of Gene editing. In the article, she mentions several reasons why gene editing can be beneficial including stopping progressive diseases, such as dementia, completely in their tracks. Weintraub even suggests that gene editing could be used to save certain animals that are facing extinction due to genetic abnormalities or diseases. On the flipside, she brings up a very interesting point about how some parents may not want to use gene editing to heal their children, but rather to “improve” them by altering their genes to make them taller, more athletic, skinnier, etc. Weintraub also worries that utilizing gene editing this manner might end up

Much is known about deadly diseases that have been incapacitating human beings since the beginning of human civilization. Unintentional weight losses, abnormal bumps, fevers with unexplained symptoms are the just the few symptoms of cancer that concerns people worldwide; constantly leading millions of people to think that a cure to a such power, and deadly disease does not exist. Primitive ways have been practiced by doctors in an evolutionary, and a historical development towards a remarkably and powerful technique that has the ability to bring an end to a serious group of diseases known as cancer. Therefore, today there are millions of people around the world who are either living, or had cancer in their lifetime. Technological advances in recent years have the potential to cure the deadly disease that has been incapacitating humans since the start of human civilization.

The lecture started off with Dr. Kitchens-Kintz discussing the importance of genes and what their functions are in the human body. For example, the fact that they are what contains the blueprints for proteins in our bodies. These proteins are then used for multiple important functions such as making up enzymes, hormones, and other materials such as collagen, which is an essential building block in hair, skin, nails, and bones. However, sometimes parts of genes get distorted throughout our life either from exposure to things such as sunlight or due to copying errors. These errors can can do one of three things: absolutely nothing, benefit, or hinder the individual. Furthermore, with the advancements in technology,

The research surround genome editing is fairly recent but has been of great scientific discovery by correcting faulty genetic diseases. With the contemporary research regarding genome editing or genetically altering the genes of an embryo, the types of sources that embodied this research was minimal yet paramount. The amount of information gathered from online libraries and texts attained from the library the technology used for genome editing CRISPR/Cas9, it is clear that there are many innovations that come along with this scientific advancement. Though modernizations are high, there are many factors that play into the success of this genome editing regarding the ethics, costs, and many social principles due to this technology. American life science company Sigma-Aldrich which biochemical kits are used in biotechnology, disease diagnosis, and technological manufacturing are one of very few establishments that currently offer genome-editing tools called Sigma CRISPRs to bind or break RNA’s to a “localized genomic region” (Sigma-Aldrich 3). This technology is a lot more modern than many may think because of the amount of genetic research that has already been subsidized with. Genome editing is a technology that has the potential to eradicate deficient DNAs that lead to diseases and dysfunctions such as cancers as well as certain structural immobility.

“This year about 564,800 Americans are expected to die of cancer—more than 1,500 people a day” (“Helping Families Face the Challenges”). Imagine if this detrimental disease, and innumerable life-altering others, were removed from the human biological code (Palus 20)? This may become reality, and human genome editing is responsible. However, due to ethical concerns this practice is prohibited in 15 of the 22 European nations (“Don't Edit the Human Germline”). Animals are currently used for this type of research where humans are taboo, though it is no longer practical. Their DNA, despite showing similarities, is neither identical to a humans nor accurately translatable to human embryonic research (“Failure of the Animal Model”). If an effective

The entrepreneur Barry Schuler once said “By being able to write a genome and plug it into an organism, the software, if you will, changes the hardware.” This compares the process of gene editing with the simplicity of constructing a computer. Through recent years of history, people have developed more advanced technology for genome editing in children while they are still in embryo. One of which is through using CRISPR-Cas9 as a pair of scissors to cut off parts of the gene people don’t want to have in their children. In brief, scientists believe that they can use this method to get rid of many illness in kids through further experiments, including some of the common ones such as muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and cancer. At the same time, the geneticist George M. Church also has high hope for future medical benefits from this advanced technology in saying, “The goal of

With the development of biological technologies, a new era of making and manipulating DNA sequences has come. Molecular biologists have gained the ability to delete, insert, isolate DNA sequences and gene fragments, as well as to make targeted modifications to the genome in vitro, in cells, and in model organisms. These technologies have made it possible to study genes and DNA fragments by dissecting the functions of complex genes and specific regulatory elements. For biological research, powerful genome editing tools will contribute to the understanding of genes, proteins, and biological systems networks. The genome engineering also benefits a broad range of applications, such as: stimulating new generations of drug development and medical therapeutics, increasing agricultural crop products.

RNA processing is the process by which an RNA strand is modified, such that it is compatible for translation into a protein. RNA is synthesized from DNA during a process called transcription, a step in which an RNA copy of a DNA sequence is made. After the RNA strand is created, within the nucleus, the RNA is transferred into the cytoplasm of the cell where it can be translated into a genetic code that the cell can interpret and turn into proteins. The ribosomes of the cell are responsible for the synthesizing of the proteins from the RNA information. The process of protein synthesis is important to the central dogma of biology; the fact that DNA becomes RNA, which in turn

This article discusses scientists from Oregon Health and Science University who successfully edited the DNA of human embryos to eliminate a mutant gene of a heritable heart condition, using gene editing technology known as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR). They focused on an inherited heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is the potential thickening of the heart muscle. The procedure consisted of using molecular scissors to cut out the mutation in the sperm right before it fertilized the egg. The embryo then repaired the cut in the sperm’s genetic material by copying the egg’s healthy gene, leaving the embryo free of a genetic disease that would otherwise be passed down by the father. It

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

DNA, the double polymer composed of nucleotides, is directly responsible for the production of proteins via RNA. When a change occurs in a stand of DNA the resulting strand is mutated. An example of this could be a in the form of a frameshift mutation where a nucleotide sequence is either inserted or deleted from a sequence resulting in a new, and likely defective stand. This defective strand would then transcribe defective RNA, which would lead to mutated proteins being produced. These mutated proteins could have devastating effect on the body allowing cells to go unchecked with the end product being tumors or

Every time I read and piece like this, I see the complexity of life. In their attempt to take God out of the picture, researchers seem to run into more and more evidence of and creator. In this article, they ruled out the possibility of an “RNA World” because it was too simple. They decided life was too complex to come from one thing. Another benefit to such research is the discoveries made in the process. Though the scientists are not obtaining the results they want, they are making lots of discoveries that can be helpful in diseases and other areas of study. This article is well written and adequately support with quotes, data, references, and

In a hospital in Hangzhou China, doctor Wu Shixiu has been using CRISPR-Cas9 technology in hopes of providing a revolutionary cure for cancer (Wall Street Journal 2018). Since then, China has already successfully cloned two infant macaques (MIT Technology Review). China’s initiative in gene editing technology has set forth a race with the United States for the development of gene editing therapy. Gene editing promises mothers that they can save their children from genefits defects and cancer patients that they can be cured. Although the inception of gene editing technology provides tremendous hope to many cancer patients, it is important to remember the reality of gene editing and the ethical questions this technological feat poses.

One of the fundamental discoveries of the 20th century was that DNA was the genetic code’s physical structure (Watson & Crick, 1953) and, since then, many studies have disclosed the complicated pattern of regulation and expression of genes, which involve RNA synthesis and its subsequent translation into proteins.