Unzipping DNA
September 18, 2012 | Terry Sharrer
One of the, as yet, unfulfilled dreams of gene therapy is to “unzip” a section of targeted DNA and insert a synthesized oligo that matches all but one of the bases—one that is responsible for a mutation. This, then, might provoke the natural DNA repair enzymes to correct the mismatch on the chromosome. Though the enzymes might also work on the oligo, if a correction takes place in enough cells a normal function could be generated. Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown that gold nanoparticles can unzip DNA; with that, “chimeraplasty” may find a new approach. MORE WITH VIDEO