Primary Edition: DNA Tool That Could Correct Most Genetic Defects

Primary Edition is a new way to edit the genetic code and could correct 89 percent of the DNA errors that cause disease, say U.S. scientists.

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The technology, called primary editing, has been described as a "genetic word processor" capable of accurately rewriting the genetic code.

It has been used to correct harmful mutations in the laboratory, including those that cause sickle cell anemia.

The Broad Institute team says it's "very versatile and accurate," but insists that the research has only just begun.

One of the researchers, Dr. David Liu, said: "You might think of the primary editors as word processors, capable of searching for objective DNA sequences and replacing them with precision.

"The primary editors offer more guidance flexibility and greater editing accuracy.

The Prime edition has been used to reverse both genetic errors in experiments with human cells in the laboratory.

There are about 75,000 different mutations that can cause disease in people. Dr. Liu estimates that the first edition has the potential to fix 89% of them.

"The first edition is the beginning, not the end, of a long-standing aspiration in molecular biological sciences to be able to make any change in DNA at any position in a living cell or organism, including potentially human patients with genetic diseases," Dr. Liu said.

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Francis Crick Institute, told BBC News: "This is an excellent document, typical of the careful, step-by-step, intelligent and inventive approach used by David Liu.

Dr. Helen O'Neill, of UCL, said: "This exciting research shows another expansion of the genome editing toolbox that allows for increasingly accurate editing capability and efficiency.

"The research has been verified in vitro in human cells with 175 different editing examples, including some of the most difficult diseases to edit.