CRISPR-Cas3 innovation holds promise for disease cures, advancing science

[rvallee]

A Cornell researcher, who is a leader in developing a new type of gene editing CRISPR system, and colleagues have used the new method for the first time in human cells – a major advance in the field.

The new system, called CRISPR-Cas3, can efficiently erase long stretches of DNA from a targeted site in the human genome, a capability not easily attainable in more traditional CRISPR-Cas9 systems. Though robust applications may be well in the future, the new system has the potential to seek out and erase such ectopic viruses as herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr, and hepatitis B, each of which is a major threat to public health.

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/201...holds-promise-disease-cures-advancing-science

I don't know the potential for ME, but the growing body of evidence of non-replicating viral genetic material hijacking some metabolic function makes this interesting. It was previously assumed that viruses were irrelevant as a disease mechanism unless in an active infectious state.

I didn't bookmark but saw an article recently that viruses have been identified within cells that do not fit the typical dormant/active states, instead being active at a much slower (IIRC 100x) pace than activated viruses, seemingly just enough to remain within the host without triggering the immune system.

It's interesting considering how some viruses have been long dismissed as potential causes of diseases because of how common they are, something that seems less certain given last year's paper identifying EBV as a potential cause of several autoimmune diseases.