TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Horizons in Genomic Medicine A1 - McCarthy, Jeanette J. A1 - Mendelsohn, Bryce A. PY - 2016 T2 - Precision Medicine: A Guide to Genomics in Clinical Practice AB - The possibility of gene editing (actually physically fixing a disease-causing mutation) in an embryo or human tissue is quickly becoming a reality. Several different technologies permit gene editing, but currently the most promising is based on CRISPR/Cas9. The Cas9 enzyme is part of a rudimentary bacterial immune system that binds to a guide RNA, finds the complementary DNA sequence, and cuts it. Bacteria use the CRISPR system to defend themselves against invading viruses, but the same technology can be harnessed to make a cut almost anywhere in the human genome. Additional DNA can then be added to replace the DNA around the cut site. Any alteration in an embryo or in a germ cell (predecessor to an egg or sperm) would be passed on indefinitely in future generations. This technology is not yet highly efficient, but progress has been stunning and major advancements are inevitable. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/24 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1134735617 ER -