CRISPR/Cas9 for cancer research and therapy

CRISPR/Cas9 has become a powerful method for making changes to the genome of many organisms. First discovered in bacteria as part of an adaptive immune system, CRISPR/Cas9 and modified versions have found a widespread use to engineer genomes and to activate or to repress the expression of genes. As...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Seminars in cancer biology 2019-04, Vol.55, p.106-119
Main Authors: Zhan, Tianzuo, Rindtorff, Niklas, Betge, Johannes, Ebert, Matthias P., Boutros, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cancer
Cas9
CRISPR
Genome-engineering
High-throughput screening
Immune therapy
Organoids
Synthetic lethality
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Summary:CRISPR/Cas9 has become a powerful method for making changes to the genome of many organisms. First discovered in bacteria as part of an adaptive immune system, CRISPR/Cas9 and modified versions have found a widespread use to engineer genomes and to activate or to repress the expression of genes. As such, CRISPR/Cas9 promises to accelerate cancer research by providing an efficient technology to dissect mechanisms of tumorigenesis, identify targets for drug development, and possibly arm cells for cell-based therapies. Here, we review current applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology for cancer research and therapy. We describe novel Cas9 variants and how they are used in functional genomics to discover novel cancer-specific vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we highlight the impact of CRISPR/Cas9 in generating organoid and mouse models of cancer. Finally, we provide an overview of the first clinical trials that apply CRISPR/Cas9 as a therapeutic approach against cancer.
ISSN:1044-579X
1096-3650
DOI:10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.04.001