By Christiana Care News –
In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing tools to disable a gene mutation often seen in aggressive forms of this dangerous skin cancer that renders promising treatments ineffective.
The study, published in the October 10 issue of the CRISPR Journal, focused on melanoma cells taken from a patient whose cancer had developed a mutation that causes drugs that can slow the progress of the disease to stop working.
The scientists used CRISPR gene editing tools to disable the mutation and restore treatment sensitivity to the cancer cells in a way that appears to minimize risks of dangerous side effects. This approach is tumor-specific and will target melanoma tumor cells and leave healthy cells alone, restoring sensitivity to anticancer drugs only in the tumor cells.
