- CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing outfits Editas Medicine (EDIT -2.2%), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA -2%) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -3.6%) are all under pressure mid-session.
- The culprit appears to be an article from EurekAlert!, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, citing a study implying that people's unique genetic differences could undermine the efficacy of CRISPR/Cas9, regarded by many as the "next big thing" in biotech. Such differences could mean than the gene edited therapy will need to be customized to each patient's genome.
- The study, led by Boston Children's Hospital and the University of Montreal, analyzed 7,444 previously published whole-genome sequences to determine if any of the individuals carried DNA sequence variants in the areas targeted by the guide RNAs used to direct CRISPR/Cas9 enzymes to the desired DNA locations for ~30 high-priority diseases. Results revealed that about 50% of analyzed guide RNAs could be potentially affected by such variants. In a few cases, the genetic variants could cause off-target editing which, in rare cases, could have serious consequences.
- The data will appear this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
- Now read: CRISPR Therapeutics: Analysis Of And Update On The B-Thalassemia Franchise
Original article