Published: 2:03am, 11 Mar, 2019 Updated: 3:22am, 11 Mar, 2019
Scientists in medicine are racing to develop a mutation - free gene editing process which could be used to treat a range of diseases . Researchers from the Chinese academy of Sciences ’ Medical Institutes for Biological Sciences aim to conduct clinical trials using the method within the next two years , with the technique offering unprecedented levels of patient safety . Traditional gene editing approaches make up a large number of genome variants , however , they can sometimes miss their intended target and cause unnecessary cell damage . By contrast , the new technique involves precisely swapping individual DNA " letters " , significantly reducing the likelihood of unexpected mutations .