Gene Editing

NPR News

In A 1st, Scientists Use Revolutionary Gene-Editing Tool To Edit Inside A Patient

Rob Stein

Doctors used CRISPR to edit genes of cells inside a patient's eye, hoping to restore vision to a person blinded by a rare genetic disorder. A similar strategy might work for some brain diseases.

The preliminary results described Wednesday come from two patients with multiple myeloma and one with sarcoma. This was just a first safety test, the scientists say, and was not designed to measure whether such a treatment would work.

CRISPR Approach To Fighting Cancer Called 'Promising' In 1st Safety Test

Rob Stein

Attempts to use the gene-editing tool CRISPR to develop a treatment for cancer seem safe and feasible in the earliest findings from the first three patients. "So far, so good," scientists say.

Scientists are exploring a new technique, called prime editing, that is more precise than CRISPR and which uses certain enzymes, including reverse transcriptase, to edit DNA.

Scientists Create New, More Powerful Technique To Edit Genes

Rob Stein

A new technique, dubbed 'prime editing,' appears to make it even easier to make very precise changes in DNA. It's designed to overcome the limits of the CRISPR gene editing tool.