Scientists in race to test CRISPR gene-editing technique on cancer
A novel gene-editing technique with potential to revolutionize cancer treatment has scientists in a race to test it on humans.
As the scientific journal Nature announced last week: "Chinese scientists to pioneer first human CRISPR trial."
But wait. On the same page, there's a link to another story from a month ago: "First CRISPR clinical trial gets green light from U.S. panel."
So who will be first in the race to use CRISPR in humans — the U.S. or China? And what are they using CRISPR to do?
If you haven't heard about CRISPR yet then all of this might seem underwhelming. But for scientists like Jason Moffat, at the University of Toronto, it's amazing news.
"That's fast," he said. "They're pushing the technology really hard."
At U of T, Moffat is using CRISPR to identify the set of genes that are essential for cell survival.
"It gives you the tools to ask questions about what things are doing that we could never do before," he said. "It's really exciting."
Scientists are now using CRISPR in a range of wild experiments. They've already designed a mechanism that could wipe out mosquitoes. And they're also toying with using it to bring the woolly mammoth back to life.
It's a tool so powerful, it could be used to permanently alter the human genome in a way that could be passed on to future generations.
www.cbc.ca/news/health/crispr-cancer-imm...ne-therapy-1.3691689
