Kyoto University
The Hotta lab shows that protection from cellular RNA enhances the genome editing of iPS cells. The ability for scientists to edit human genomic DNA has been around for decades. Such research has revealed how a single mutation in just one of the billions of base pairs in the human genome can cause destructive diseases. In the past decade, advances in CRISPR-Cas9 technology have taken DNA editing a major step farther and promise to revolutionize regenerative medicine. One of the biggest challenges for therapeutic application is the efficiency of precise genome editing. A new study by Junior Associate Professor Akitsu Hotta and colleagues reports a simple but key step in the delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 into iPS cells that enhances this efficiency.