Researchers at Tel Aviv University have shown that the CRISPR genome editing system is very effective in treating metastatic cancer, an important step on the path to finding a cure for cancer.
In a paper published this week, researchers demonstrated a novel lipid nanoparticle-based delivery system that specifically targets cancer cells – and co-authored Pro. For effective treatment of cancer in a living animal.
“It must be emphasized that this is not chemotherapy. There are no side effects, and a cancer cell treated in this way will never be active again, ”said VP Pierre of R & D Laboratory Prec f Precision Nanomedicine at the Schuminis School of Biomedicine Canceled Cancer Research.
“The CRISPR genome editing technology is capable of identifying and modifying any genetic fraction, individually disrupting, modifying, or altering genes.”
Peer’s team, which includes researchers from the Iowa Company, Integrated DNA Technologies and Harvard Medical School, selected two of the malignant cancers to test the system’s potential: gyloblastoma and metastatic ovarian cancer. Giloblastoma is the most invasive type of brain cancer, with a survival rate of 15 months after diagnosis and a five-year survival rate of only 3%.
The researchers showed that a single treatment with CRISPR-LNPs doubled the average lifespan of mice with glioblastoma tumors, increasing their overall survival rate by about 30%.
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death in women and the most deadly cancer of the female reproductive system. Despite progress in recent years, only one-third of patients survive the disease – but treatment with CRISPR-LNP in rats with metastatic ovarian cancer has increased the overall survival rate by op0%.
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Despite extensive use of the research, clinical implementation is still in its infancy as CRISPR needs an effective delivery system to deliver it safely and accurately to its target cells, Pierre told Tel Aviv University News. “The delivery system we have developed targets the DNA responsible for the survival of cancer cells. This is an innovative treatment for invasive cancer that has no effective treatment nowadays. ”
The system, called CRISPR-LNPs, contains genetic messenger (messenger RNA), encoded for the CRISPR enzyme CAS9, which acts as nuclear scissors that cut the DNA of cells. “Cas 9 nuclear scissors cut the DNA of the cancer cell, inactivating it there and preventing replication permanently,” explains Pierre.
Related: The first sickle cell patient treated by CRISPR is now a year later, and able to care for her children
The groundbreaking study was funded by the Israel Cancer Research Fund, and was published in Science Progress this week.
Researchers have noted that by demonstrating its potential in the treatment of two invasive cancers, the technology opens up numerous new possibilities for the treatment of other types of cancer, as well as rare viral diseases such as rare genetic diseases and AIDS. For example, they wanted to advance experiments to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Related: Scientists use gene-targeting progress against covid-19 cells known as ‘PAC-men’ with the CIRSPR tool.
“It will take some time before the new treatment is used in humans, but we are optimistic. The whole picture of nuclear drugs that use messenger RNA (genetic messenger) is getting richer – in fact, most Covid-19 vaccines are currently based on this principle, “says Pierre.
“When we first talked about treatment with mRNA twelve years ago, people thought it was science fiction. . . We are already in negotiations with international corporations and foundations aimed at delivering the benefits of genetic acquisition to human patients. ”
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