Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen for Unveiling Radiosensitive and Radioresistant Genes
08:32

Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen for Unveiling Radiosensitive and Radioresistant Genes

Published on: May 23, 2025

Chromosomal instability induced by CRISPR/Cas9: implications for pancreatic cancer therapy

Li-Chan Chang1, Christine E Eyler1, Chang-Lung Lee1,2

  • 1Department of Radiation Oncology and.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation
|May 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in pancreatic cancer cells, leading to cell death. This precision therapy shows promise for treating pancreatic cancer by overcoming treatment resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Pancreatic cancer (PC) management is challenging due to its complex tumor microenvironment.
  • DNA damage-targeted therapies show potential for PC treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of cancer-specific multitarget sgRNAs in inducing lethal DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in pancreatic cancer cells.
  • To analyze the effects of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DSBs on chromosomal stability and cell death.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cancer-specific multitarget sgRNAs to induce DSBs in PC cells.
  • Employed integrative bioinformatic and cytogenetic analyses to assess chromosomal instability.
  • Compared the cytotoxicity of sgRNA-induced DSBs with radiation-induced DSBs.

Main Results:

  • CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DSBs induced persistent chromosomal instability, leading to chromosome catastrophe and cell death.
  • sgRNAs demonstrated superior cytotoxicity compared to radiation-induced DSBs.
  • Sequential targeting with distinct sgRNAs eliminated cells resistant to a specific sgRNA.

Conclusions:

  • CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DSBs represent a promising precision therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer.
  • This approach offers a novel method to overcome treatment resistance in PC.
  • The study highlights the potential of targeting DNA damage for innovative PC therapies.

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Abnormal Growth-related Genes of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells by Combining CRISPR/Cas9 Technology with Cell Counting07:01

Evaluation of Abnormal Growth-related Genes of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells by Combining CRISPR/Cas9 Technology with Cell Counting

Published on: May 2, 2025

Genome Editing and Directed Differentiation of hPSCs for Interrogating Lineage Determinants in Human Pancreatic Development09:37

Genome Editing and Directed Differentiation of hPSCs for Interrogating Lineage Determinants in Human Pancreatic Development

Published on: March 5, 2017

Related Concept Videos

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing01:28

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing

The CRISPR-Cas system serves as a bacterial defense mechanism against invading genetic elements such as viruses and plasmids, forming the foundation for its adaptation as a powerful genome-editing tool. Originally discovered in prokaryotes, this system has been repurposed to revolutionize genetic engineering across a wide range of organisms, including plants, animals, and humans. The core component, Cas9, is an endonuclease derived from Streptococcus pyogenes, capable of introducing...
CRISPR01:59

CRISPR

Genome editing technologies allow scientists to modify an organism’s DNA via the addition, removal, or rearrangement of genetic material at specific genomic locations. These types of techniques could potentially be used to cure genetic disorders such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia. One popular and widely used DNA-editing research tool that could lead to safe and effective cures for genetic disorders is the CRISPR-Cas9 system. CRISPR-Cas9 stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short...
CRISPR01:59

CRISPR

Genome editing technologies allow scientists to modify an organism’s DNA via the addition, removal, or rearrangement of genetic material at specific genomic locations. These types of techniques could potentially be used to cure genetic disorders such as hemophilia and sickle cell anemia. One popular and widely used DNA-editing research tool that could lead to safe and effective cures for genetic disorders is the CRISPR-Cas9 system. CRISPR-Cas9 stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short...
Homologous Recombination02:31

Homologous Recombination

The basic reaction of homologous recombination (HR) involves two chromatids that contain DNA sequences sharing a significant stretch of identity. One of these sequences uses a strand from another as a template to synthesize DNA in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The final product is a novel amalgamation of the two substrates. To ensure an accurate recombination of sequences, HR is restricted to the S and G2 phases of the cell cycle. At these stages, the DNA has been replicated already and the...
CRISPR and crRNAs02:53

CRISPR and crRNAs

Bacteria and archaea are susceptible to viral infections just like eukaryotes; therefore, they have developed a unique adaptive immune system to protect themselves. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) are present in more than 45% of known bacteria and 90% of known archaea.
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...