CMN Weekly (22 July 2022) - Your Weekly CRISPR Medicine News

Some of the best links we picked up around the internet

By: Gorm Palmgren - Jul. 22, 2022
News

Top picks

  • Danish researchers have shown that Cas12a nucleases can broadly utilise structurally engineered crRNAs with breaks or gaps in the otherwise highly-conserved loop region. The researchers tested 16 modifications ranging from engineered breaks (STAR-crRNAs) to large gaps (Gap-crRNAs), as well as nucleotide substitutions, and they all enabled gene-cutting in at least some of five Cas12a nucleases. The observed nuclease-specific differences in the crRNA tolerance may improve classification criteria and engineering strategies.
  • To treat autosomal dominant hearing loss, Chinese researchers have used cell sorting to precisely detect the efficiency of in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in hair cells. Until now, it has been almost impossible to evaluate editing efficiencies because the whole cochlear tissue contains many non-target cells. In a mouse model, the authors show that a mutation in Kcnq4 responsible for hearing loss was repaired in 34% of hair cells, while the editing efficiency in the whole cochlear tissue was only 1.5%. Furthermore, gene editing improved hearing in treated animals as evaluated by several parameters.

Research

Industry

Detection

  • Chinese researchers propose a new Cas13a cascade cyclic signal enhancement strategy without amplification for detecting RNA viruses and disease-related RNAs. The method utilises intra-enzyme chain replacement-promoted Cas13a cascade cyclic reaction and is performed in 30 minutes with fluorometric readout. A detection limit of 75 aM was achieved with miRNA-21 as the target. Moreover, analyses of clinical respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) samples demonstrate good performance.
  • Another Chinese research team describes a CRISPR Cas12a-based detection system for miRNA-141. Cas12a is used to initiate a switchable ternary electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor combined with a Co3O4@Au nanoemitter. In addition, a programmable enzyme-free hybrid chain reaction (HCR) amplifier on a paper working electrode (PWE) is used to assemble the nucleic acid tandem and accomplish the secondary recursion of the signal. As a result, the biosensor demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity, with a detection limit of 3.3 FM.
  • Researchers in India describe a CRISPR-Cas9-based lateral flow test for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA. It uses Cas9 from Francisella novicida and can detect specific nucleobase and nucleotide sequences. Detection depends upon the stoichiometric-based binding of FnCas9 ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP)-target sequences. The assay has been optimised to be conducted within one h and shows 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity in clinical samples across a range of viral loads.

Reviews

News from CRISPR Medicine News

To get more of the CRISPR Medicine News delivered to your inbox, sign up to the free weekly CMN Newsletter here.

Tags

HashtagArticleHashtagMissing linksHashtagNewsHashtagCMN Weekly

News: CMN Weekly (22 July 2022) - Your Weekly CRISPR Medicine News
News: CMN Weekly (22 July 2022) - Your Weekly CRISPR Medicine News
CLINICAL TRIALS
Sickle Cell Disease, SCD, (NCT06287099)
Sponsors:
Bioray Laboratories
IND Enabling
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
IND Enabling
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
IND Enabling
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
View all clinical trials
close
Search CRISPR Medicine