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crispr

SCIENCE: CRISPR Gene Editing To Be Used Inside Humans For the First Time

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dna - pixabay

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 … Read more

SCIENCE: CRISPR Is “Not As Safe As We Thought”

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DNA - Pixabay

Like a molecular ninja, the genome-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 slices through ultraspecific segments of DNA to cut out unwanted bits of genetic code. It’s a precise and promising method of genetic editing that’s widely used in scientific research. And scientists hope it could one day be used to selectively remove genes that result in medical problems such as HIV, sickle cell disease and cancer. Unfortunately, a new study published today (July 16) in the journal Nature Biotechnology suggests that this day may be further off than expected — and that CRISPR’s cellular swordsmanship may result in much more collateral damage than … Read more