Progress of gene-mediated precision immunotherapy in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia / 中国药科大学学报

@#Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease caused by abnormal cloning of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, which leads to accumulation of a large number of abnormally differentiated myeloid cells. It is difficult to cure by traditional treatment. The successful application of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy indicates that the treatment of hematological tumors has entered a new stage of precision immunotherapy. However, CAR-T immunotherapy has been found to have many problems in clinical applications, including long treatment cycle, expensive prices, off-target effects, cytokine release syndrome, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the application of CAR or adopt improved measures to enhance the therapeutic effect. This article reviews the new strategies for genetic engineering modification of CAR immune cells and the research progress and application of in situ programming to generate CAR-T, and besides, briefly introduces the new methods about the delivery of gene drugs in vivo, aiming to provide new ideas and theoretical basis for expanding and improving the application of precision immunotherapy in AML.

Construction of luminescent bacteriophage using CRISPR technology and its application in Escherichia coli indentification / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To construct a recombinant bioluminescent bacteriophage (HT7) targeting Escherichia coli, and evaluate its ability to identify Escherichia coli. Methods:Initially, pCRISPR-sg (1-10) and PFN-1000 plasmid strains were constructed by genetic engineering, and the most efficient small guild RNA (sgRNA) were screened by bilayer plate. By the gene editing technique, which comprised homologous recombination and clustered regularly interspaced short palin dromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system, the Nanoluc luciferase gene was integrated into the downstream non-coding region of 10A gene of T7 phage, to constructe the bioluminescent phage HT7 successfully. The difference of biological characteristics between HT7 phage and T7 phage was evaluated by plaque assay and liquid amplification assay. In addition, 51 strains of Escherichia coli, 20 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 14 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 6 strains of Enterococcus faecium, 5 strains of Enterococcus faecalis, 3 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii and 1 strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected and isolated to evaluate the limit of detection and specificity of HT7 phage. Results:Among the 10 CRISPR-targeted cleavage systems constructed, sgRNA8 exhibited the highest cleavage efficiency, with a cleavage rate of 0.18. After three rounds of recombination screening using the pCas9/pCRISPR/PFN-1000 triple-plasmid system, PCR validation yielded recombinant phage bands at 2 798 bp, indicating the successful construction of the HT7 phage. The recombinant phage showed significant differences in biological characteristics in terms of lysis efficiency ( P<0.001), one-step growth curve ( P=0.001), and infection multiplicity ( P=0.031). Both lysis burst time and log growth node were extended by 10 min, with the optimal infection multiplicity being 0.1. Clinical sample testing identified lysis of 6 strains of Escherichia coli within 4.5 h, while other strains remained unaffected, with detection of pathogenic bacteria below 10 CFU/ml. Conclusions:The developed pCas9/pCRISPR/PFN-1000 triple-plasmid editing system efficiently edits the bacteriophage genome. The constructed HT7 fluorescent bacteriophage enables the detection of Escherichia coli below 10 CFU/ml within 4.5 hours, demonstrating low detection limits and high detection specificity.

Research on the Ethical Supervision of Human Gene Editing Technology: Based on the Perspective of Game Theory / 中国医学伦理学

In view of the current norms and demands of human gene editing technology at home and abroad, the paper explained that the regulatory difficulties faced by human gene editing technology were due to the conflict between economic interests and moral bottom line by constructing a game model in a hypothetical way. On this basis, the ideas of the supervision mode of human gene editing technology were put forward: establish unified international standards based on the country as the main body, enact more stringent and effective laws, to jointly deal with the behavior of genetic manipulation of human gametes, zygotes and embryos for the purpose of reproductive, and ensure the normalization and legalization of gene editing technology to avoid technology abuse.

Gene therapy strategies and prospects for neurofibromatosis type 1 / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To summarize the gene therapy strategies for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and related research progress.@*METHODS@#The recent literature on gene therapy for NF1 at home and abroad was reviewed. The structure and function of the NF1 gene and its mutations were analyzed, and the current status as well as future prospects of the transgenic therapy and gene editing strategies were summarized.@*RESULTS@#NF1 is an autosomal dominantly inherited tumor predisposition syndrome caused by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which impair the function of the neurofibromin and lead to the disease. It has complex clinical manifestations and is not yet curable. Gene therapy strategies for NF1 are still in the research and development stage. Existing studies on the transgenic therapy for NF1 have mainly focused on the construction and expression of the GTPase-activating protein-related domain in cells that lack of functional neurofibromin, confirming the feasibility of the transgenic therapy for NF1. Future research may focus on split adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery, oversized AAV gene delivery, and the development of new vectors for targeted delivery of full-length NF1 cDNA. In addition, the gene editing tools of the new generation have great potential to treat monogenic genetic diseases such as NF1, but need to be further validated in terms of efficiency and safety.@*CONCLUSION@#Gene therapy, including both the transgenic therapy and gene editing, is expected to become an important new therapeutic approach for NF1 patients.

Application of the CRISPR/Cas system in gene editing and nucleic acid detection of parasitic diseases: a review / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

CRISPR/Cas system, an adaptive immune system with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, may interfere with exogenous nucleic acids and protect prokaryotes from external damages, is an effective gene editing and nucleic acid detection tools. The CRISPR/Cas system has been widely applied in virology and bacteriology; however, there is relatively less knowledge about the application of the CRISPR/Cas system in parasitic diseases. The review summarizes the mechanisms of action of the CRISPR/Cas system and provides a comprehensive overview of their application in gene editing and nucleic acid detection of parasitic diseases, so as to provide insights into future studies on parasitic diseases.

Logic-gated tumor-microenvironment nanoamplifier enables targeted delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 for multimodal cancer therapy

Recent innovations in nanomaterials inspire abundant novel tumor-targeting CRISPR-based gene therapies. However, the therapeutic efficiency of traditional targeted nanotherapeutic strategies is limited by that the biomarkers vary in a spatiotemporal-dependent manner with tumor progression. Here, we propose a self-amplifying logic-gated gene editing strategy for gene/H2O2-mediated/starvation multimodal cancer therapy. In this approach, a hypoxia-degradable covalent-organic framework (COF) is synthesized to coat a-ZIF-8 in which glucose oxidase (GOx) and CRISPR system are packaged. To intensify intracellular redox dyshomeostasis, DNAzymes which can cleave catalase mRNA are loaded as well. When the nanosystem gets into the tumor, the weakly acidic and hypoxic microenvironment degrades the ZIF-8@COF to activate GOx, which amplifies intracellular H+ and hypoxia, accelerating the nanocarrier degradation to guarantee available CRISPR plasmid and GOx release in target cells. These tandem reactions deplete glucose and oxygen, leading to logic-gated-triggered gene editing as well as synergistic gene/H2O2-mediated/starvation therapy. Overall, this approach highlights the biocomputing-based CRISPR delivery and underscores the great potential of precise cancer therapy.

Advances in corneal stromal regeneration and repair / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Corneal stroma is a significant part of the cornea and plays a significant role in the eye's refractive system. Although corneal transplantation is now the most effective treatment for corneal stromal disease, its advancement has been constrained by a shortage of donors, the need for prolonged immunosuppressive medicine to prevent rejection, and low graft survival rates. An alternate strategy is to use the corneal stroma's natural capacity for regeneration to create the ideal conditions for the collagenous extracellular matrix of the stroma to self-renew. However, it is challenging to replicate the intricate ultrastructure of the corneal stroma in vitro. Regenerative medicine has so been used to address these issues. These approaches refer to numerous disciplines, including stem cell-induced differentiation, tissue engineering and gene editing. This article provides potential directions for the future clinical applications of corneal stromal regeneration and repair while summarizing pertinent techniques, research progress, and issues.

Memória e ancoragem na construção de representações sociais sobre edição genética de embriões humanos / Memory and anchoring in the construction of social representations about human embryo gene editing / Memoria y anclaje en la construcción de representaciones sociales sobre edición genética de embriones humanos

Resumo: As representações sociais são elaboradas a partir da inserção de determinado objeto em um sistema de conhecimentos preexistentes, processo este, denominado de ancoragem. Este estudo buscou analisar a relação entre memória e ancoragem nas representações sociais da edição genética de embriões humanos. Foram conduzidas 40 entrevistas com pessoas adultas maiores de 18 anos sobre opiniões acerca da edição genética de embriões humanos. Realizou-se uma Análise de Conteúdo Temática a partir das entrevistas. As memórias evocadas discutem os avanços da ciência e o surgimento de outras biotecnologias no passado. O risco de práticas eugenistas e erros da ciência também foram rememorados. As memórias mostram duas tendências concomitantes entre os entrevistados: a busca pela familiarização da edição genética e/ou o distanciamento deste objeto. Os posicionamentos revelam um pensamento condicional, apontando para os aspectos controversos e esperançosos e as consequências positivas e negativas que podem ocorrer a partir da aplicação dessa tecnologia.

Abstract: Social representations are developed by inserting a given object into a system of preexisting knowledge, a process known as anchoring. This study sought to analyze the relationship between memory and anchoring in social representations of human embryo genetic editing. Forty interviews were conducted with adults over 18 years of age about their opinions about human embryo genetic editing. A Thematic Content Analysis was carried out based on the interviews. The memories evoked discuss scientific advances and the emergence of other biotechnologies in the past. The risk of eugenic practices and scientific errors were also recalled. The memories show two concomitant trends among the interviewees: the search for familiarization with genetic editing and/or distancing from this object. The positions reveal conditional thinking, pointing to the controversial and hopeful aspects and the positive and negative consequences that may occur from the application of this technology.

Resumen: Las representaciones sociales se crean a partir de la inserción de un determinado objeto en un sistema de conocimientos preexistentes, proceso llamado anclaje. Este estudio buscó analizar la relación entre la memoria y anclaje en las representaciones sociales de la edición genética de embriones humanos. Se realizaron 40 entrevistas a adultos mayores de 18 años sobre sus opiniones acerca de la edición genética de embriones humanos. Se realizó un análisis de contenido temático a partir de las entrevistas. Las memorias evocadas discuten los avances de la ciencia e el surgimiento de otras biotecnologías en el pasado. También se recordó el riesgo de prácticas eugenésicas y de errores en la ciencia. Las memorias muestran dos tendencias concomitantes entre los entrevistados: la búsqueda de familiarización con la edición genética y/o el distanciamiento de ese objeto. Las posturas revelan un pensamiento condicional, señalando los aspectos controvertidos y esperanzadores y las consecuencias positivas y negativas que pueden surgir del uso de esta tecnología.

Novel approaches for HTLV-1 therapy: innovative applications of CRISPR-Cas9

ABSTRACT The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus that belongs to the Retroviridae family, genus Deltaretro, and infects approximately five to 10 million people worldwide. Although a significant number of individuals living with HTLV-1 remain asymptomatic throughout their lives, some develop one or more severe clinical conditions, such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a progressive and debilitating disease, and/or a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a more threatening course known as adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Moreover, current therapeutic options are limited and focus primarily on treating symptoms and controlling viral latency. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is proposed as a promising tool to address the intricate links associated with HTLV-1. By targeting or silencing key genes during initial infection and dysregulating immune signaling pathways, CRISPR-Cas9 offers potential intervention opportunities. In this review, we address the therapeutic potential of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, as well as examine the primary mechanisms involved in editing potential target genes and discuss the existing evidence in the current scientific literature.

Enhancing Crop Resilience through CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Development of Disease-Resistant Cultivars

A major issue in agriculture is the protection of crops against diseases and pests. Plant breeding has been primarily responsible for the growth of disease-resistant cultivars. The use of gene editing techniques in plant breeding is essential for obtaining desired features. Clustered Regular Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPER)/Cas9 (CRISPR-related protein) is a new advancement in gene editing technology. It can be utilised in plant defence mechanisms against pathogen attack by recognising the bacterial immune system and destroying invasive pathogen genes. Advances in plant breeding through CRISPR/Cas9 integration have helped develop cultivars including hereditary resistance to bacterial and viral diseases. Future crop generations can acquire CRISPR/Cas9-mediated transgene resistance if the Cas9/sgRNA transgene has been isolated in the F1 generation. Cas9/sgRNA transgene separation makes CRISPR/Cas9 safe for use in plant breeding. Although CRISPR/Cas9 has proven to be a wonderful tool to revolutionize plant breeding and develop various disease resistant varieties, its effect on many plant physiological processes remains to be thoroughly investigated.

Aplicaciones clínicas de la herramienta CRISPR-Cas / Clinical Applications of the CRISPR-Cas Tool

Resumen El desarrollo de tecnologías para la edición del genoma ha abierto la posibilidad de apuntar directamente y modificar secuencias genómicas en casi todo tipo de células eucariotas. La edición del genoma ha ampliado nuestra capacidad para dilucidar la contribución de la genética a las enfermedades al promover la creación de modelos celulares y animales más precisos de procesos patológicos y ha comenzado a mostrar su potencial en una variedad de campos, que van desde la investigación básica hasta la biotecnología aplicada y biomédica. Entre estas tecnologías, el uso de las repeticiones palindrómicas cortas agrupadas regularmente espaciadas ha acelerado, en gran medida, el progreso de la edición de genes desde el concepto hasta la práctica clínica, generando, además, interés debido, no solo a su precisión y eficiencia, sino también a la rapidez y a los costos necesarios para su implementación en comparación con otras tecnologías de edición genómica. En esta revisión se presenta información recabada de publicaciones indexadas en la base de datos PubMed que se encontraron mediante el uso de palabras claves asociadas con la tecnología y que se filtraron para retener solo aquellas con evidencias de avances clínicamente relevantes y que permiten demostrar algunas de las aplicaciones que tiene esta tecnología en la investigación, pronóstico y tratamiento de enfermedades genéticas, cardiovasculares, virales, entre otras; esto con el objetivo de dar a conocer la situación actual de los avances en aplicaciones clínicas de la herramienta CRISPR-Cas y fomentar aún más la investigación en esta tecnología, la cual, tal como se evidencia a lo largo de esta revisión, posee una gran versatilidad y un amplio rango de aplicaciones, lo que ofrece una enorme oportunidad en el campo de la medicina genómica, pero que, a su vez, requiere un mayor fomento en su investigación para mejorar la tecnología y acercarla aún más a consolidar aplicaciones clínicas de uso seguro, confiable y consistente.

Abstract The development of genome editing technologies has opened up the possibility of directly targeting and modifying genomic sequences in almost all types of eukaryotic cells. Genome editing has expanded our ability to elucidate the contribution of genetics to disease by promoting the creation of more precise cellular and animal models of disease processes and has begun to show its potential in a variety of fields, ranging from basic research to applied and biomedical biotechnology. Among these technologies, the use of clustered regularly spaced short palindromic repeats have greatly accelerated the progress of gene editing from concept to clinical practice, further generating interest due not only to its precision and efficiency, but also to the speed and costs required for its implementation compared to other genomic editing methods. This review presents information collected from indexed publications in the PubMed database that were found by using keywords associated with the technology and filtered to retain only those with evidence of clinically relevant advances that demonstrate some of the applications that this technology has in research, prognosis, and treatment of genetic, cardiovascular, and viral diseases, among others; this with the aim of show the current situation of advances in clinical applications of the CRISPR-Cas tool and further encourage research in this technology, which, as evidenced throughout this review, has a great versatility and a wide range of applications, which offers an enormous opportunity in the field of genomic medicine but which, in turn, requires greater support in its research to improve the technology and bring it even closer to consolidating clinical applications of safe, reliable and consistent use.

CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing approaches for psychiatric research

Currently, genome editing technologies, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9), are predominantly used to model genetic diseases. This genome editing system can correct point or frameshift mutations in risk genes. Here, we analyze and discuss the advantages of genome editing, its current applications, and the feasibility of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in research on psychiatric disorders. These disorders produce cognitive and behavioral alterations and their etiology is associated with polygenetic and environmental factors. CRISPR/Cas9 may reveal the biological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders at a basic research level, translating a suitable clinical approach for use in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Genetic diagnosis and treatment for these disorders have not yet been fully established in psychiatry due to the limited understanding of their heterogeneity and polygenicity. We discuss the challenges and ethical issues in using CRISPR/Cas9 as a tool for diagnosis or gene therapy.

Editing the Human Genome with CRISPR/Cas: A Review of its Molecular Basis, Current Clinical Applications, and Bioethical Implications

ABSTRACT CRISPR/Cas genes evolved in prokaryotic organisms as a mechanism of defense designed to identify and destroy genetic material from threatening viruses. A breakthrough discovery is that CRISPR/Cas system can be used in eukaryotic cells to edit almost any desired gene. This comprehensive review addresses the most relevant work in the CRISPR/Cas field, including its history, molecular biology, gene editing capability, ongoing clinical trials, and bioethics. Although the science involved is complex, we intended to describe it in a concise manner that could be of interest to diverse readers, including anyone dedicated to the treatment of patients who could potentially benefit from gene editing, molecular biologists, and bioethicists. CRISPR/Cas has the potential to correct inherited diseases caused by single point mutations, to knock-in the promoter of a gene whose expression is highly desirable or knockout the gene coding for a deleterious protein. CRISPR/Cas technique can also be used to edit ex vivo immune cells and reinsert them in patients, improving their efficiency in attacking malignant cells, limiting the infectious potential of viruses or modulating xenotransplant rejection. Very important bioethical considerations on this topic include the need to internationally regulate its use by ad hoc expert committees and to limit its use until safety and bioethical issues are satisfactorily resolved.

Development strategy and clinical research progress of universal chimeric antigen receptor T-cell drugs / 中国药科大学学报

@#Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy has made a breakthrough in the clinical treatment of a variety of hematological tumors.However, the CAR-T cell products listed at China and abroad are all autologous CAR-T.Compared with autologous CAR-T treatment, universal CAR-T exhibits significant advantages, which could fulfill the treatment demand of more patients, but also displays high technical barriers.This paper reviews the universal CAR-T, clearly points out the two major challenges faced by the development of universal CAR-T, and then summarizes and analyzes the feasible solutions according to the mechanism causing the two major problems.This paper also summarizes domestic and foreign companies producing universal CAR-T and the latest clinical progress of their superior products, and then discusses the feasibility of the development strategy from another aspect, in order to provide ideas for developing a new generation of universal CAR-T cell therapy products.

Construction of CRISPR/Cas9 system targeting mouse Tsc1 and Tsc2 gene and verification of targeting effectiveness / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#ObjectiveTo design and construct CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system targeting Tsc1 and Tsc2 genes,and verify the effectiveness of gene editing at cellular level.MethodsThree sgRNA guide sequences were designed for mouse Tsc1 and Tsc2 genes respectively. The sgRNA expression vector was constructed and co-transfected with the Cas9 expression plasmid into mouse N2a cells. After the positive cells were obtained through drug screening,the DNA fragments at the targeting site were amplified by PCR,and the targeting efficiency was verified by TA clone sequencing.ResultsThe five targets of Tsc1-M-sgRNA2 and Tsc1-M-sgRNA3 of Tsc1 gene and Tsc2-M-sgRNA1,Tsc2-M-sgRNA2 and Tsc2-M-sgRNA3 of Tsc2 gene were all edited,and the editing efficiency was 40%,80%,30%,30% and 20%,respectively.ConclusionA CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system with editing efficiency targeting mouse Tsc1 and Tsc2 genes was successfully constructed.

Legal Regulatory Approach of Germline Cell Gene Editing / 中国医学伦理学

Germline cell gene editing is a potentially revolutionary technology that can be used to treat and prevent many genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia. Although this technology has aroused widespread discussion in the medical community and the public, its legal regulatory approach has not yet been fully determined. By summarizing and studying the experience of relevant foreign laws and regulations, this paper analyzed and summarized the current legal situation in China, and explored three ethical topics of social equality, individual subjectivity, and intergenerational rights. Combining the existing legal norms and relevant ethical considerations, the legal regulatory approach for germline cell gene editing was proposed in view of the weak operability of the law, the blurred boundaries of the legislation, and the insufficiently perfect ethical review mechanism. To better ensure that the technology can benefit mankind on the premise of eliminating risks, the following suggestions were put forward: a specialized law should be formulated based on clear legislative principles to adjust and guide the improvement of the ethical review mechanism of germline cell gene editing. It is hoped that promoting the progress of germline cell gene editing technology through in-depth research, and providing useful reference for the formulation of relevant laws and ethical policies.

Destruction of Being "Lifted": A Study on Klara and the Sun from the Perspective of Bioethics / 中国医学伦理学

Klara and the Sun is the first work published by Kazuo Ishiguro after he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Its publication attracted widespread attention for he turned his attention to the gene-editing technology. By telling the story of Clara, an artificial friend (AF) designed to accompany "lifted" children, the author revealed the ethical problems caused by the application of gene-editing technology to "lifted" children. From the theoretical perspective of bioethics and its basic principles, this paper interpreted the ethical issues of gene-editing technology from three aspects that: "lifted" technology, "lifted" technology implementer, and "lifted" technology implementation consequence, and analyzed Kazuo Ishiguro’s technical ethics proposition.

Rapid detection and genotyping of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 variants using a RT-PCR and CRISPR-Cas12a-based assay / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a rapid detection and genotyping method for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 variants using CRISPPR-Cas12a gene editing technology.@*METHODS@#We combined reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and CRISPR gene editing technology and designed a specific CRISPPR RNA (crRNA) with suboptimal protospacer adjacent motifs (PAM) for rapid detection and genotyping of SARS- CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 variants. The performance of this RT- PCR/ CRISPPR-Cas12a assay was evaluated using 43 clinical samples of patients infected by wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron BA. 1 and BA. 4/5 variants and 20 SARS- CoV- 2-negative clinical samples infected with 11 respiratory pathogens. With Sanger sequencing method as the gold standard, the specificity, sensitivity, concordance (Kappa) and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of RT-PCR/CRISPPR-Cas12a assay were calculated.@*RESULTS@#This assay was capable of rapid and specific detection of SARS- CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 variant within 30 min with the lowest detection limit of 10 copies/μL, and no cross-reaction was observed in SARS-CoV-2-negative clinical samples infected with 11 common respiratory pathogens. The two Omicron BA.4/5 specific crRNAs (crRNA-1 and crRNA-2) allowed the assay to accurately distinguish Omicron BA.4/5 from BA.1 sublineage and other major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. For detection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 variants, the sensitivity of the established assay using crRNA-1 and crRNA-2 was 97.83% and 100% with specificity of 100% and AUC of 0.998 and 1.000, respectively, and their concordance rate with Sanger sequencing method was 92.83% and 96.41%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#By combining RT-PCR and CRISPPR-Cas12a gene editing technology, we successfully developed a new method for rapid detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 variants with a high sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, which allows rapid detection and genotyping of SARS- CoV-2 variants and monitoring of the emerging variants and their dissemination.

CRISPR-based molecular diagnostics: a review / 生物工程学报

Rapid and accurate detection technologies are crucial for disease prevention and control. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a great threat to our society, highlighting the importance of rapid and highly sensitive detection techniques. In recent years, CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing technique has brought revolutionary advances in biotechnology. Due to its fast, accurate, sensitive, and cost-effective characteristics, the CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection technology is revolutionizing molecular diagnosis. CRISPR-based diagnostics has been applied in many fields, such as detection of infectious diseases, genetic diseases, cancer mutation, and food safety. This review summarized the advances in CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection systems and its applications. Perspectives on intelligent diagnostics with CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection and artificial intelligence were also provided.

Application of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology in crop breeding / 生物工程学报

The CRISPR-Cas9 system is composed of a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) and its associated proteins, which are widely present in bacteria and archaea, serving as a specific immune protection against viral and phage secondary infections. CRISPR-Cas9 technology is the third generation of targeted genome editing technologies following zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALENs). The CRISPR-Cas9 technology is now widely used in various fields. Firstly, this article introduces the generation, working mechanism and advantages of CRISPR-Cas9 technology; secondly, it reviews the applications of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in gene knockout, gene knock-in, gene regulation and genome in breeding and domestication of important food crops such as rice, wheat, maize, soybean and potato. Finally, the article summarizes the current problems and challenges encountered by CRISPR-Cas9 technology and prospects future development and application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology.