Nanoparticle-Enabled Gene Editing
April 18, 2017 | Terry Sharrer
Getting CRISPR-Cas 9 molecules to their target cells without damage or off-targeting has been an obstacle for gene editing, but as this piece reports, scientists at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst may have solved the first problem and improved upon the second: “. . . .a remarkably highly efficient (∼90%) direct cytoplasmic/nuclear delivery of Cas9 protein complexed with a guide RNA (sgRNA) through the coengineering of Cas9 protein and carrier nanoparticles. This construct provides effective (∼30%) gene editing efficiency and opens up opportunities in studying genome dynamics.” This, however, may not resolve off targeting DNA within the target cell. MORE
Image Credit: University of Massachusetts-Amherst News and Media Relations