The first study to test the gene-editing technology CRISPR inside the human body is about to get underway in the United States, according to news reports.
The study plans to use CRISPR to treat an inherited eye disorder that causes blindness, according to the Associated Press.
People with this condition have a mutation in a gene that affects the function of the retina, the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye that are essential for normal vision. The condition is a form of Leber congenital amaurosis, one of the most common causes of childhood blindness that affects about 2 to 3 newborns out of every 100,000, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The treatment will correct the mutation using CRISPR, a tool that allows researchers to precisely edit DNA in a specific spot, the AP reported.