Is CRISPR-Cas9 the Future of Humanity?

CRISPR-Cas9 is an immune system that serves as a defense mechanism for prokaryotes against bacteriophages. After its discovery in 1987, scientists discovered a revolutionary way to make use of CRISPR-Cas9. In 2012, scientists George Church, Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier, and Feng Zhang pioneered a way to use the Cas9 system as a genome-editing technology. They stated that CRISPR-Cas9 can cut-and-paste specific parts of an organism’s gene if there is an aligning guide RNA.

The specific mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing is as follows. The first step that needs to be done is designing the guide RNA, which complements the targeted DNA sequence and guides the Cas9 protein to the right location. This procedure is followed by delivering the CRISPR-Cas9 system to the editing site using methods like viral vectors and electroporation. Then, the guide RNA and Cas9 protein binds to create a complex. This allows the guide RNA to guide the CRISPR-Cas9 to the intended location in the DNA where the Cas9 protein makes a double-stranded break. Then, the break is repaired by either method of NHEJ (Non-Homologous End Joining) or HDR (Homology-Directed Repair) to create the desired modification in the gene.

Such use of CRISPR-Cas9 in the genetic engineering field can be applied in the clinical field, especially in the treatment of various types of cancer. Because cancer is caused by genes that lead to the overgrowth of cells and eventually the growth of tumors, it is viewed as a genetic disease. This gene can be induced from damage on the DNA from harmful factors like excessive intake of alcohol or as an inherited trait from parents. Scientists think that the modification on the gene that causes cancer could be made possible by CRISPR-Cas9 and a guide RNA. There have already been experiments conducted to test the effectiveness of Cas9 protein in combating cancer.