Abstract
In the past decade, the development of a genome-editing technology mediated by CRISPR has made genetic engineering easier than ever, both in vitro and in vivo. CRISPR systems have enabled important advances in cancer research by accelerating the development of study models or as a tool in genetic screening studies, including those aiming to discover and validate therapeutic targets. In this Review, we discuss these applications as well as new potential uses of CRISPR to assist in cancer detection or the development of anticancer therapies.
Key points
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CRISPR systems have been extensively applied to edit genes and genomic sequences in order to develop cancer models, providing a rapid, simple and low-cost system with which to identify and study genetic determinants of cancer and therapeutic targets.
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CRISPR systems have been widely adapted in cancer research to facilitate the discovery of new targets; many high-throughput in vitro and in vivo genetic screening studies have been performed with CRISPR.
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CRISPR systems are being robustly adapted to improve the efficacy of immunotherapies by enhancing their potency, mitigating toxicity, reducing manufacturing cost and facilitating the discovery and development of new immunotherapeutic strategies.
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The delivery of CRISPR to tumours might inhibit tumour growth directly and indirectly. As a diagnosis platform, CRISPR could be used to detect low numbers of cancer cells or rare mutations in clinical samples.
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Acknowledgements
H.Y. acknowledges funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31871345 and a startup package from Wuhan University.
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H.Y. and W.X. researched different sections of the manuscript, and D.G.A. provided key opinions and oversaw data research. All authors discussed content and reviewed and edited the manuscript before submission.
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H.Y., W.X. and D.G.A. have applied for CRISPR-related patents, one of which has been issued. D.G.A. is a scientific co-founder of CRISPR Therapeutics.
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Yin, H., Xue, W. & Anderson, D.G. CRISPR–Cas: a tool for cancer research and therapeutics. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 16, 281–295 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-019-0166-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-019-0166-8
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