Progress in the application of CRISPR: From gene to base editing

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated endonucleases (Cas) systems are powerful tools for genome editing.
• Traditional CRISPR/Cas9 technology introduces double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs), which can lead to undesirable mutations.
• There is a need for safer and more precise genome editing methods to correct unwanted mutations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome and base editing.
• To introduce a new CRISPR/Cas9-derived base editing approach.
• To highlight the advantages of base editing over traditional CRISPR/Cas9 for specific genetic corrections.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 technology for targeted base conversion.
• Implementing base editing to change specific nucleotides (e.g., C to T, A to G) without creating DSBs.
• Comparing base editing efficiency with traditional CRISPR/Cas9 methods for point mutation repair.

Main Results:

• CRISPR-derived base editing allows precise conversion of single DNA bases.
• This method avoids the generation of DSBs, donor DNA templates, and excessive insertions/deletions.
• Base editing demonstrates improved efficiency in repairing point mutations within the genome.

Conclusions:

• CRISPR-derived base editing represents a significant advancement in genome editing technology.
• This approach offers a more accurate and efficient alternative for correcting point mutations.
• Base editing minimizes off-target effects and unwanted mutations associated with DSB-based methods.