Genetically reprogrammed human T cells

Viral vectors have been the workhorses of gene transfer since the 1980s, but they always have raised concerns about their long-term effects, especially when they involved CRISPR gene editing.  This piece describes work at the University of California at San Francisco that relies on electroporation to introduce edited genes without risks from viral delivery: “Without using viruses, the researchers were able to generate large numbers of CRISPR-engineered cells reprogrammed to display the new T cell receptor. When transferred into mice implanted with human melanoma tumors, the engineered human T cells went to the tumor site and showed anti-cancer activity.”  MORE

Image Credit:  Alex Marson’s Lab UCSF