Toward more efficient gene editing: Manipulation of DNA repair factors gives boost to CRISPR-Cas9

CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene editing tool that shows promise for efficiently repairing damaged DNA in a wide variety of genetic diseases ranging from certain types of heart disease to sickle cell disease. Now, researchers are reporting that simultaneous expression of two molecules used to repair DNA—RAD52 and a dominant-negative form of 53BP1—markedly improves the frequency of precise gene editing using CRISPR Cas9. This new strategy promises to overcome significant bottlenecks that limit the full potential of CRISPR-Cas9 for precision medicine, the researchers say. Their study, published at Nature Biomedical Engineering, was partly funded by NHLBI.