CRISPR is an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, which refers to regularly repeating nucleotide sequences originally noticed in bacterial genomes. It facilitates specific changes in the DNA of humans, animals and plants and modifies DNA in a faster and easier manner compared with earlier techniques.
CRISPR is a critical component of the immune systems of bacteria and microorganism with the immune system being responsible for the protection of the health and well-being of the organism. Cas9 is an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease enzyme associated with the CRISPR adaptive immunity system in Streptococcus pyogenes, among other bacteria.
The CRISPR/Cas system is an adaptive immune defense mechanism used by Archea and bacteria for the degradation of foreign genetic material. In these organisms, the foreign genetic material from a bacteriophage is acquired and integrated into the CRISPR loci. This new material, also known as a spacer, creates a sequence-specific fragment used for future resistance against a bacteriophage infection.
The role of the system in providing immunity is a relatively new discovery. Bacterial cell can get invaded by viruses and if a viral infection poses threats to a bacterial cell, the CRISPR immune system is able to combat the attack by destroying the invading virus' genome, preventing continued replication of the virus. The CRISPR immune system therefore provides protection to the bacteria from ongoing viral infection.
Drug developers and researchers from pharmaceutical giants is expecting that gene editing tools such as the CRISPR can lead to the development of new drug or cures for patients with genetic disorders. In a study involving adult mice, researchers were able to demonstrate a cure for a liver disease by replacing the mutant form of the gene with the correct sequence.
CRISPR has potentials in the field of infectious disease by providing a way to develop specific antibiotics that only target the bacterial strains responsible for a disease and sparing the beneficial bacteria. The technology also has become very popular in the lab for making precise changes in the genetic make-up of organisms. What’s more, it also has potential applications in industrial processes that involve bacterial cultures.
Rarely has a new technology generated the level of enthusiasm and interest that is now associated with CRISPR/Cas9, the simple and efficient genomic editing technique with the potential for advancing basic genetic research, gene therapy, and personalized medicine. Scientists across the world, biotech and drug companies, and university licensing officers are capitalizing on the research opportunities presented by this technology and are using this versatile system on a multitude of species.
