- Thinly traded gene editing outfit Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +9.5%) is up on a 40% spike in volume, albeit on turnover of only 385K shares, in apparent response to the news that scientists at UC-Berkeley and Massachusetts General Hospital have found a way to improve the precision of DNA-editing technology CRISPR/Cas9.
- They have found a region within the Cas9 protein (the enzyme that does the cutting) that governs how precisely CRISPR/Cas9 hones in on the targeted DNA sequence. They have "tweaked" the domain to produce a "hyper-accurate" gene editor with the lowest level of off-target cutting achieved to date. The discovery should enable scientists to customize variants of Cas9 aimed at minimizing the chance that CRISPR/Cas9 edits DNA in the wrong place. In other words, it should contribute greatly to the efficacy and safety of gene therapies.
- The much-hyped technology was tarnished a bit on reports of higher-than-expected off-target DNA editing in several research studies.
- The UC-Berkeley research team is from the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer Doudna, the co-discoverer (arguably) of CRISPR/Cas9. Intellia was created to develop and commercialize the technology based on UC-Berkeley's intellectual property estate.
- Related tickers: (EDIT +7.3%)(CRSP +0.5%)
- Now read: Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) Presents At Rodman & Renshaw 19th Annual Global Investment Conference - Slideshow
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