Punch - Counterpunch: HIV Can Avoid CRISPR/Cas9 Editing

Punch - Counterpunch: HIV Can Avoid CRISPR/Cas9 Editing
Apr-13-2016 0 comments Cube Biosystems

IFL Science
By Robin Andrews

In an effort to understand how HIV evolves resistance to drugs, scientists have found that it may be possible to steer the evolution of HIV proteins, and eventually make HIV stop evolving.

Scanning electromicrograph of an HIV-infected T cell.
Source: NIAID

A few weeks ago we reported that by using CRISPR/Cas9 editing, researchers were able to remove HIV from stem cells. Unfortunately, a new study reveals that HIV is able to quickly adapt to this type of gene-editing attack by mutating, allowing it to evade destruction. For this new study, instead of giving T cells immunity to viral infection, the team actually engineered the with a CRISPR/Cas9 system that would to seek and destroy HIV pathogens. Two weeks after equipping the cells with the CRISPR/Cas9 system, it was discovered that the virus had produced mutations near the editing site that prevented Cas9 from removing the virus. This does not eliminate the possibility of utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 as treatment tool, but does reconfirm that we are up against a 'wily' opponent.

Original: CRISPR/Cas9-Derived Mutations Both Inhibit HIV-1 Replication and Accelerate Viral Escape, Cell

Tags:
About the author

Related post (11)

HIV Continues to Replicate Despite Antiretrovirals
Jan-28-2016 / 0 comments / Cube Biosystems

A new study demonstrates that HIV continues to replicate, even when it is no longer detectable in blood.                        ..

Current State of HIV Research
Mar-01-2016 / 0 comments / Cube Biosystems

Just where are we in terms of HIV research, what advances have we seen lately, and are we any closer to attaining that ultimate ..

Eliminating HIV-1 from the Genome of Human T-Cells
Mar-22-2016 / 0 comments / Cube Biosystems

A team at Temple University has successfully eliminated HIv-1 from human T-cells employing CRSIPR/Cas9 technology.              ..

Retroviral DNA Needs Time To Find Its Home, But Insertion Happens In A Blink
Apr-27-2016 / 0 comments / Cube Biosystems

Retroviruses such as HIV must insert their viral DNA into host-cell DNA. A new study reveals details about the viral DNA's searc..

Related product