We know the fundamentals of wholesome residing by now. A balanced food regimen, common train, and stress discount may also help us keep away from coronary heart illness—the world’s greatest killer. But what for those who might take a vaccine, too? And not a typical vaccine—one shot that will alter your DNA to supply lifelong safety?
That imaginative and prescient shouldn’t be far off, researchers say. Advances in gene modifying, and CRISPR expertise particularly, might quickly make it attainable.
Gene modifying could also be lastly able to go mainstream, treating many ailments and circumstances—and never all of them genetic. In the longer term, we would have the ability to use the identical strategy to guard folks from hypertension and diabetes, and dramatically enhance their high quality of life within the course of. Read the total story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
CRISPR for prime ldl cholesterol is one among MIT Technology Review’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2023. Explore the remainder of the checklist, and vote in our ballot to assist us determine what our remaining eleventh expertise must be.
These scientists used CRISPR to place an alligator gene into catfish
What’s occurred? Millions of fish are farmed within the US yearly, however lots of them die from infections. In idea, genetically engineering fish with genes that defend them from illness might assist to deal with the problem. A staff of scientists have tried to just do that—by inserting an alligator gene into the genomes of catfish.
Why an alligator gene? The alligator gene codes for a protein referred to as cathelicidin which is antimicrobial, based on the staff at Auburn University in Alabama. In idea, it might make animals which have the gene artificially inserted into their genomes extra proof against ailments.