A new phase of genome editing has started. The method through which it is possible to modify DNA for therapeutic purposes, originally devised and developed in Berkley and at the MIT in Boston, became reliable and safe to use in clinical settings on the hill of Trento.
And this turning point, an achievement of the Centre for Integrative Biology - CIBIO of the University of Trento, may soon have positive effects for the gene therapy that is used to treat certain disorders.
Anna Cereseto, professor at CIBIO and senior author of the article that describes the study in “Nature Biotechnology”, expressed her pride and satisfaction. The article, A highly specific SpCas9 variant is identified by in vivo screening in yeast, is available in Open Access here: https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4066
CIBIO therefore beats its competitors in the international science arena.
The first and most immediate application of EvoCas9, the “perfect editor”, is the treatment of genetic diseases and cancer, but it can also be used in other non-medical sectors where genome-editing has become essential: to improve plants and animals for human consumption, for example.
In addition to the publications, a patent has been filed for evoCas9 and is attracting attention. In a few more months we will know if and how the future of evoCas9 will be written in Trento.
You can find all the details in the press release