Velvet Eugenics Has Already Walked Through the Doors. Possibilities of Editing Human Embryos and Fetuses
CRISPR could soon be used to edit the DNA of human embryos. With this intervention, the DNA changes are also passed on to the patient’s future biological descendants. By 2018, at least two children had been born as a result of germline editing with embryos that had been genetically modified in China. Prenatal editing involves editing the DNA of the fetus visible inside a pregnant woman’s uterus — without the intention of affecting future offspring.
Differences in maternal and paternal X chromosome activity levels revealed
Biologists have found that the cells of some organs in women’s bodies contain an active “paternal” X chromosome, while in other organs the “maternal” X chromosome will be active with a different set of mutations and epigenetic marks. This can cause serious differences in the work of the same genes in different organs of women, the press service of the British Medical Research Council reported.
Exceptionally long-lived rodents have lost some of their genes during their evolution
Russian and Swedish molecular biologists have discovered that Cape naked mole rats, exceptionally long-lived rodents, have lost some of the genes from the CD1 family, which are responsible for the recognition of various pathogenic bacteria by T cells, during their evolution. This indicates a major restructuring of the immune system architecture in these animals.
CRISPR Will Allow to Cure Genetic Diseases That Were Previously Incurable
The MHRA has approved Casgevy to treat sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassaemia. These are lifelong genetic disorders caused by mutations in the genes that code for haemoglobin, the protein red blood cells need to transport oxygen around the body. CRISPR could treat a common form of inherited blindness. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has gone to two women who developed a gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9, which cuts DNA like molecular scissors.
Fanzor is the first CRISPR-like system found in complex life forms
Scientists have discovered Fanzor proteins, which work like CRISPR but are smaller and easier to deliver to cells, and used them to edit human DNA. Researchers have discovered a new gene-editing system similar to CRISPR in complex organisms, demonstrating for the first time that DNA-modifying proteins exist in all kingdoms of life.
Gene therapy treats or prevents diseases by changing the content or expression of DNA in cells
Gene therapy has made headlines in recent years, in part because of rapid advances in biotechnology that allow doctors to perform such treatments. Broadly speaking, gene therapy is a technique used to treat or prevent disease by changing the content or expression of DNA in cells, often by replacing defective genes with functional ones.
New technical capabilities increase knowledge about the structure and “behavior” of DNA
Scientists have identified tens of thousands of mysterious “knots” in human DNA that may play a key role in controlling gene activity. The activity of 4-strand DNA in living cells has been revealed. Synthetic DNA with four extra letters has been created. DNA twists into strange shapes to fit into cells.