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Snapshot: The next-generation of CRISPR is prime editing – what you need to know

The CRISPR gene-editing toolbox expanded with the addition of prime editing. Prime editing has astounding potential for both basic biology research and for treating genetic diseases by theoretically correcting ~89% of known disease-causing mutations.

What is prime editing?

Prime editing is coined as a “search-and-replace” editing technique that builds on the “search-and-cut” CRISPR technology. Like CRISPR, prime editing utilizes the Cas9 enzyme targeted to a specific location in the genome by a guide RNA (gRNA). With a few ingenious modifications, including an enzyme called a reverse transcriptase (RT) fused to Cas9, prime editors can be targeted to nearly anywhere in the genome where the RT writes in new DNA letters provided by a template on the gRNA.

New gene-editing techniques offer more opportunities for therapy development. Each new discovery makes the techniques more and more accurate. Image courtesy of yourgenome.

 How is prime editing different from CRISPR?

Scientists are excited about prime editing because it has several advantages and overcomes many of the limitations of previous CRISPR systems. CRISPR Cas9, an endonuclease, cuts—like scissors—both DNA strands to inactivate a gene or to insert a new sequence of donor DNA. Unlike CRISPR edits, the prime editing Cas9, a nickase, cuts a single DNA strand and does not rely on the cell’s error-prone repair machinery, thereby minimizing any resulting deleterious scars left on the DNA. It has a broader range of targets because it is not limited by the location of short DNA sequences required for Cas9 binding to DNA. The versatility and flexibility of the system allows for more control to inactivate genes as well as to insert, remove, and change DNA letters, and, combine different edits simultaneously—analogous to a typewriter. Importantly, the edits are precise with relatively infrequent unwanted edits. Initial indications showed fewer off-target edits in the genome, possibly because more steps are required for a successful edit to occur. In some cases, it may be more efficient than CRISPR, depending on the targeted cell type, such as in a non-dividing cell like a neuron in the brain. However, with all these advantages, CRISPR still remains the tool of choice for making large DNA deletions and insertions because the prime editing system is limited by the RT and template RNA length.

How could prime editing help ataxia patients?

Prime editing offers enormous possibility for correcting heritable ataxia mutations accurately and safely. In dominantly inherited SCAs, like SCA1 or SCA2, prime editing could shorten the pathogenic repeat expansion allele to the normal length, or inactivate the pathogenic allele without creating unwanted, deleterious mutations. It also provides researchers with a powerful tool to study disease-causing genes in cells and animal models in new ways to advance our knowledge about the underlying mechanisms in ataxia.

What barriers are there to using prime editing as a treatment?

Prime editing will require rigorous testing in cells and animals before moving into humans in a clinical trial. Optimizing delivery and efficiency in target cells and tissues, and minimizing side-effects will be the key barriers to overcome.

To read the original Nature article describing prime editing, it can be found from the Liu lab here.

If you would like to learn more about Prime Editing, take a look at these news stories by The Broad Institute and Singularity Hub.

Snapshot written by Bryan Simpson and edited by Dr. Hayley McLoughlin.

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