Uncovering the Physiological Functions of CRISPR-Cas RNA
A recent breakthrough in gene editing has revealed the potential for CRISPR-Cas to have physiological functions beyond gene editing. This discovery could lead to advances in the fight against diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Scientists at the University of Michigan have uncovered a physiological role for the CRISPR-Cas system: binding to and regulating RNAs. The team used a combination of laboratory experiments and computer simulations to show that the CRISPR-Cas-RNA complex acts like a switch, controlling gene expression and protein production. This could have implications for the development of treatments for a range of diseases that involve misregulated gene expression. The findings also suggest that CRISPR-Cas systems may play an important role in cell regulation that has yet to be discovered.
source: Phys.org