CRISPR-edited Cells Linked to Cancer Risk in 2 Studies
Published:08 Jul.2018 Source:Scientific American
Editing cells’ genomes with CRISPR-Cas9 might increase the risk that the altered cells, intended to treat disease, will trigger cancer which is a potential game-changer for the companies developing CRISPR-based therapies.
In the studies, scientists found that cells whose genomes are successfully edited by CRISPR-Cas9 have the potential to seed tumors inside a patient. That could make some CRISPR’d cells ticking time bombs, according to researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and, separately, Novartis.