Cancer has been a serious concern for humanity for decades and in spite of extensive research, a complete cure for cancer is still a dream. However, recent technological advancements have led to the discovery of several new cancer therapies.

One promising technology among them is CRISPR which has shown encouraging results in treating cancer patients. In this article, we will discuss how CRISPR is being used in cancer therapy and what results it has yielded so far.

What is CRISPR?

The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a genetic editing technology that allows scientists to make precise changes to the DNA of living organisms including human beings.

It is a protein-based system that works by cutting the DNA strands at a specific location and then replacing or removing the damaged gene that causes diseases such as cancer. CRISPR technology has become a game-changer in cancer therapy as it allows for targeted removal of cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells unharmed.

How is CRISPR Used in Cancer Therapy?

CRISPR technology can be used in two ways to treat cancer. One approach is to edit the DNA of the cancer cells in order to make them more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

The other approach is to precisely delete the genes that cause cancer in order to prevent the disease from spreading.

Encouraging Results of CRISPR in Cancer Therapy

CRISPR technology has shown promising results in several preclinical studies on animals. In a 2016 study, researchers at Stanford University used CRISPR to treat mice with metastatic melanoma.

The results were remarkable as the CRISPR-treated mice had significantly smaller tumors and longer survival rates than the control group.

A more recent study published in the Journal of Nature Biomedical Engineering in 2020 demonstrated the use of CRISPR in treating cancer in vivo. In this study, scientists used CRISPR to target glioma tumors in the brains of mice.

The CRISPR treatment led to a significant decrease in the size of the tumors and without any obvious side effects.

Another study, published in the journal Nature Medicine in 2018, demonstrated the use of CRISPR technology to treat cancer patients with a certain type of leukemia.

In this study, scientists used CRISPR to edit the T-cells of the patients and then injected them back into the patient’s body. The edited cells were able to locate and kill the cancerous cells effectively.

CRISPR Challenges in Cancer Therapy

Despite the encouraging results of CRISPR in cancer therapy, the technology still faces some challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the risk of off-target effects.

CRISPR works by cutting the DNA at a specific location but there is always a risk of the system cutting the DNA at the wrong location which could lead to unintended consequences.

Another challenge is the delivery of the CRISPR system to the target cells. The technology is still in the early stages of development and therefore, there is no standard method for delivering the CRISPR components to the target cells.

This could make it difficult to effectively use the technology in humans.

Conclusion

CRISPR technology has shown promising results in cancer therapy and could potentially be a game-changer in the treatment of cancer. However, more research is needed to fully understand the technology and its potential side effects.

With further research and development, CRISPR could provide us with a cure for cancer in the near future.