Gene Editing - Making diseases extinct

Do you know that quite a lot of the deadly diseases in the world today can be cured by some alteration to the gene? Have you ever thought that you can make plants that are genetically resistant to pests, thereby eliminating the need for harmful pesticides? But how do you make this happen?

For some time now, scientists have been editing the DNA using a gene editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR-Cas9 cuts and replaces a section of the DNA. So, doctors can identify the section of DNA that is responsible for one particular disease and replace it. Just think about it, this can change the future of humanity. This technology in itself is revolutionary. But now. Scientists have taken it one step further and have made CRISPR 2.0 that can change the DNA sequence by altering single DNA base pairs instead of cutting and replacing whole sections.

DNA is made up of four chemicals that pair up in sequences - adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). These chemicals make base pairs that are A-T and G-C and these pairs are what make up the DNA sequence on the whole. Just a mutation of one pair can be the cause of an illness. If this mutation can be changed back to its correct form, the illness is cured. Changing a single point mutation precisely reduces the chances of errors that can occur when you replace whole sections.

There has also been another significant invention in this field. A team of researchers have developed a protein called Cas13. Cas13 is a CRISPR protein that can change the RNA. While DNA editing is permanent. RNA editing is temporary. Adenosine is changed to inosine in this method. Inosine is interpreted by the cells in our body as guanine. RNA regulates how proteins are produced in our body. Changing the RNA helps recover the ability to produce proteins and this can in turn lead to treatment of many diseases.

Both of these developments are a major step towards a brighter, disease-free future for humanity.