Prime editing: Emerging mechanisms, engineering innovations, and next-generation applications

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Prime editing is an advanced genome-editing technology enabling targeted DNA modifications.
• Unlike traditional methods, it avoids double-strand breaks and donor DNA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in prime editing mechanisms and engineering.
• To compare prime editing with other genome-editing tools.
• To highlight future directions for prime editing technology.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on prime editing mechanisms, including flap dynamics, repair pathways, and pegRNA.
• Summary of engineering improvements leading to high-efficiency systems (e.g., PEmax, PASTE).
• Comparative analysis of prime editing against other genome-editing modalities.

Main Results:

• Prime editing systems demonstrate high programmability and accuracy for substitutions, insertions, and deletions.
• Engineered systems like PEmax and PASTE show increased efficiency.
• Therapeutic gene correction, agriculture, and genomics are emerging applications.

Conclusions:

• Prime editing is a versatile platform with significant potential for precise genome rewriting.
• Overcoming barriers such as delivery and large-fragment integration is crucial for broader adoption.
• Strategic innovations are needed to advance prime editing for future applications.