Scientists have developed a suite of molecular tools that increase the efficiency of a gene-editing technique called prime editing for a wide variety of cell types and target genes, expanding the scope of the technology’s therapeutic and research applications. In two new studies, the researchers used the improved prime editing systems to correct mutations linked to various neurodegenerative, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases.
First described in 2019, prime editing is a precise gene editing method that has the potential to correct the vast majority of known disease-causing genetic variations. Researchers can use prime editing to make DNA substitutions, insertions, and deletions at targeted sites in human cells and animals. Editing efficiency, however, varies depending on the type of cell being edited and the target location in the genome.
