Advances in CRISPR genetic editing technology are on the verge of breaking through previous therapeutic ceilings. Scientists are aiming to treat a variety of disorders ranging from HIV to SARS-CoV-2. Current research is evaluating the application of sequence-specific RNA to direct Cas9, a bacterial enzyme, to the target genome to replace or repair mutations.
Now, Philip Santangelo, of Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, and colleagues are using a different bacterial enzyme, Cas13a, to alter viral genomes and inhibit viruses from replicating in lung cells. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Their CRISPR system works by supplying a messenger RNA (mRNA) with the blueprint to make the anti-viral Cas13a protein, utilizing a similar method as the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. The team’s findings demonstrate that mRNA can be used to express the Cas13a protein in living lung tissue, not just in cells in a dish. They are the first to show that the bacterial Cas13a protein is effective at slowing or stopping the replication of SARS-CoV-2.