Chinese researchers have studied the effects of length and sequence of gRNA on Cas13b and Cas13d activity in vitro and in vivo. Among their findings is that neither Cas13b nor Cas13d has a particular preference for the sequence composition of gRNA, including the sequence of crRNA and its flanking sites on target RNA. However, the crRNA, complementary to the middle part of the target RNA, seems to show higher cleavage efficiency for both Cas13b and Cas13d.
Target-seq is a new single workflow for detecting genome integration sites, DNA translocation and off-target events after CRISPR gene editing. Target-seq is based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and includes a genome integration site (GIS) tool that detects the integration site and copy number of donor DNA delivered in host cells. In addition, two additional tools permit the discovery and relative quantitation of off-target sites and DNA rearrangements, including DNA translocations and large deletions.
Prime Medicine reports first quarter 2023 financial results with a cash position of $263.0 million and net losses of $39.4 million. The company additionally says it is working to correct the causative mutation of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and to showcase the potential of the PASSIGE platform to multiplex edit CAR-T cells to treat certain cancers and immune disorders.
Yet another CRISPR-Cas12-based system for the rapid at-home detection of respiratory pathogens is presented by Chinese researchers. The system is referred to as 4 Thermostatic steps (4TS). It allows all the detection processes to be completed in a constant temperature device, which performs extraction, amplification, cutting of targets, and detection within 40 min.
Emergence of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated bioimaging: A new dawn of in-situ detection. This review discusses the available CRISPR-mediated imaging systems, highlight the potential of CRISPR-mediated bioimaging for application in biomedical research and clinical practice, and outlines the current bottlenecks and future perspectives of CRISPR-based bioimaging.
CRISPR Assays for Disease Diagnosis: Progress to and Barriers Remaining for Clinical Applications. This review summarises the properties of known CRISPR-Cas systems, their applications, and the challenges associated with developing assays for the sensitive and specific detection of nucleic acid (NA) targets. In addition, it highlights potential opportunities to improve their performance or address unmet assay needs using nano-/micro-technology platforms.