Can Gene Editing Defeat Genetic Diseases?

This challenging topic was the cover story of Berkeley Engineer's fall issue. Laying the groundwork for faculty and alumni research breakthroughs required explaining not just the complex gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, but also highly technical nuances of why it has not worked well on genetic diseases - until now.

While the CRISPR tool excels at deleting defective genes, it is less efficient at correcting mutations. Now, Berkeley bioengineers think they have cracked the stubborn barriers to correcting the Duchenne gene mutation, potentially optimizing both treatment and diagnosis. If they’re successful, their work could have implications for nearly every genetic disease. READ MORE

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