Is science cutting corners… with DNA!?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Gene therapy often hits a roadblock because inserting whole genes usually requires chopping DNA. This risks errors and unwanted mutations. How can we stop the chop?
Isaac Witte and team from Harvard developed a new gene editing tool called evoCAST. It can insert large pieces of DNA exactly where needed — without fully cutting the DNA.
EvoCAST is over 200 times more effective than previous gene editing tools. It can insert entire genes with up to thirty percent success, representing a 420-fold average improvement!
This advancement could lead to better treatments for cancer and inherited illnesses.
A gene tool that’s smart and snip-free — now that’s gene therapy on point!
Reference: Witte, I. A., Bhatt, P. R., Halpin-Healy, T. S., Layton, C. J., Macklin, J. J., Nety, S. P., … & Liu, D. R. (2024). Continuous evolution of CRISPR-associated transposases for efficient human genome engineering. Science, 389(6748), May 2024. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt5199