CRISPR Variant Targets Cancer DNA

Scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Van Andel Institute have discovered that ThermoCas9, a variant of CRISPR, can distinguish tumor DNA from healthy DNA based on methylation patterns and selectively cut only the tumor DNA. This research, co-led by John van der Oost and Hong Li, represents a significant step towards a highly precise cancer therapy. The study, published in Nature (journal), demonstrates that ThermoCas9 uses methylation as a molecular 'fingerprint' to target malignant cells while leaving healthy cells untouched. While the current findings show selective DNA cleavage, the next steps involve ensuring this effect leads to tumor cell death and exploring broader applications for other diseases with aberrant methylation patterns. The research received funding from entities including the United States — National Institutes of Health, Netherlands — Dutch Research Council, and Australia — Australian Research Council.