New ‘prime’ genome editor could surpass CRISPR

mauromar (73)in #news • 5 years ago

Source
We have already commented on this blog the excellence of the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic editing tool and how it is able to locate and repair genetic errors, but it seems that this technique has unwanted side effects.

That is why a scientific team from the Broad Institute in the US has presented a new genetic editing tool that could correct 89% of known human genetic variants associated with diseases and without these side effects.

The technique is called Prime Editing, and it combines the Cas9 enzyme with a second enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which can search for a specific DNA site and, at the same time, introduce a new DNA sequence by cutting a single strand of DNA to avoid mutations. .

Apart from the scientific words that we do not understand, what it means is that this new genetic editing tool not only cuts and sticks DNA as if it were the MSWord but also does not spoil anything.

A very good news that brings us a little closer to the singularity.

Source: sciencemag.org, read original article
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/10/new-prime-genome-editor-could-surpass-crispr