What are the latest developments in gene editing for medical applications?

The latest developments in gene editing for medical applications include CRISPR-based therapies and base editing techniques.

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology has revolutionised the field of gene editing. It allows scientists to edit genes with unprecedented precision, efficiency, and flexibility. The latest developments in this area are focused on using CRISPR for therapeutic purposes. For instance, researchers are developing CRISPR-based therapies for a range of diseases, including cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases. In 2020, a team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University successfully used CRISPR to treat two patients with inherited blood disorders. This marked the first time that scientists have used CRISPR directly in the human body, rather than in cells that were then transplanted into patients.

Another exciting development in gene editing is the advent of base editing techniques. Traditional gene editing methods, like CRISPR, work by cutting the DNA strand, which can lead to unwanted mutations. Base editing, on the other hand, allows scientists to change individual DNA bases (the 'letters' of the genetic code) without cutting the DNA strand. This could potentially allow for more precise and safer gene editing. In 2021, a team of researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard used a base editing technique to correct a mutation that causes progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes rapid ageing in children. This is a significant step forward in the development of gene editing therapies.

Moreover, the development of prime editing, a new gene editing technique that combines the best features of CRISPR and base editing, is another breakthrough. Prime editing allows for the insertion, deletion, and replacement of DNA bases with a high degree of precision and fewer unwanted byproducts. This technique could potentially be used to correct up to 89% of known genetic defects.

In conclusion, the field of gene editing is rapidly advancing, with new techniques and applications being developed all the time. These developments hold great promise for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and conditions.