Targeting Cancer-Specific Mutations with RNA-Triggered Chromatin Shredding

Targeting Cancer-Specific Mutations with RNA-Triggered Chromatin Shredding

Genetic mutations that drive cancer often occur in tumor suppressor proteins, including the p53 transcription factor which is altered in ~40-50% of cases1,2. However, current therapies fail to target most such mutations because the mutant proteins typically lack defined drug-binding pockets, and restoring the endogenous function has proven challenging. Here, we programmed CRISPR-Cas12a2, an RNA-guided nuclease with trans-nucleolytic cleavage act…

CRISPR Shreds Undruggable Cancer Cells with Precision

When Jingkun Zeng, PhD, joined the lab of Nobel laureate, Jennifer Doudna, PhD, as a postdoctoral researcher in 2024, he was not interested in applying CRISPR for gene editing. The molecular scissors had demonstrated extraordinary clinical promise in correcting single-point mutations, most strikingly in Baby KJ’s case, where a rare metabolic disorder once presented a 50% mortality rate in infancy.   Yet, Zeng had his ambitious sights on stopping…