SYDNEY, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers have found a way to silence cancer-causing gene mutations.
In a new study, researchers from Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Center demonstrated that it was possible to use the powerful gene editing tool CRISPR to silence the gene mutations KRAS G12, NRAS G12D, and BRAF V600E that drive aggressive pancreatic, colorectal and lung cancers.
The team used the protein Cas13 to enable CRISPR, technology used by scientists to target, disable or edit specific DNA in cells, to target ribonucleic acid (RNA) rather than DNA.
They found that CRISPR-Cas13 was able to selectively degrade mutant RNA transcripts while sparing normal, unmutated versions of the genes found in healthy cells.
All of the gene mutations targeted in the study are single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), small changes in the genetic code that cause uncontrolled cell growth.
Mohamed Farah, a co-author of the study, said that the SNVs have been notoriously difficult to target with regular drugs.
"With further development, this platform could transform the way we treat cancers driven by hard-to-target mutations," he said.
"The precision and adaptability of this system also opens new doors to personalized cancer treatments tailored to an individual's unique genetic profile," he said.
He said that the method was found to silence the SNVs with an unprecedented level of accuracy and flexibility in lab conditions but that more work was needed before it could be tested in people. ■
