Researchers from Christiana Care's Gene Editing Institute in Delaware have used Crispr to edit DNA outside the cell for the first time, which could allow for diagnostic tests to replicate DNA mutations in a patient's tumour. Genes were edited inside plasmids using Crispr-Cas9 without success but a switch to the enzyme Cas12a allowed the team to replicate DNA mutations to see what pathways they might affect. The researchers found that CRISPR-Cas12 was able to target genes involved with cancer and other diseases. The researchers are working on a Crispr-on-a-chip for a commercial partner that has licensed the technology for cancer diagnostics.
Researchers from Christiana Care's Gene Editing Institute in Delaware have used Crispr to edit DNA outside the cell for the first time, which could allow for diagnostic tests to replicate DNA mutations in a patient's tumour. Genes were edited inside plasmids using Crispr-Cas9 without success but a switch to the enzyme Cas12a allowed the team to replicate DNA mutations to see what pathways they might affect. This method of recreating mutations allows for multiple changes to DNA samples at once. The researchers are working on a Crispr-on-a-chip for a commercial partner that has licensed the technology for cancer diagnostics.