Gene editing used to remove HIV from infected immune cells

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Researchers from Temple University have developed a breakthrough technique that may change the course of treatment for HIV/AIDS and other retrovirus infections. The method uses the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool, which allowed the team to splice the HIV viral DNA out of the patient’s infected immune cells.

CRISPR/Cas9 was developed as a gene editing tool in 2012 by a team of scientists at University of California Berkeley. It became the tool of choice for molecular biologists because of its simplicity, high efficiency, and versatility. CRISPR is a naturally occurring DNA sequence that is repeated throughout the bacterial genome. Scientists discovered that these repeats match the DNA of viruses and are used by the bacteria as a defense against a viral infection. They also found a set of enzymes called Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins) that often are associated with CRISPR sequences and can cut and slice DNA.

Working together, CRISPR and Cas can splice DNA in a highly targeted manner, allowing scientists to target specific genes for elimination or modification. In the case of the HIV study, the team of researchers extracted infected T-Cells from a patient and used a modified CRISPR/Cas9 to remove the HIV-1 DNA. The treatment was shown to be effective against both T-Cells cultured in a petri dish and t-cells extracted from an HIV patient. When the procedure was complete, the treated cells contained no detectable HIV DNA and were unaffected by the treatment.

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Not only did the system completely remove the viral DNA without harming the target cells, it did so permanently, reducing the chance of reinfection. The CRISPR/Cas9 technique may prove to be a much more efficient viral treatment than the current strategy of antiretroviral therapy, which remains effective only for so long as the patient is taking the medicines. Once the antiretroviral therapy stops, the patient relapses as the HIV resumes its attack on the person’s immune system.

While the new technique shows promise as a treatment for HIV and other retroviral diseases, researchers are cautiously optimistic about its clinical application. The technique still needs refinement to ensure it is safe and effective for patients.

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from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1T6zwcO
Kelly Hodgkins

John Jason Fallows

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