Application of the CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing technique in basic research, diagnosis, and therapy of cancer

Mol Cancer. 2021 Oct 1;20(1):126. doi: 10.1186/s12943-021-01431-6.

Abstract

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for the development of the Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated nuclease9 (CRISPR/Cas9) gene editing technology that provided new tools for precise gene editing. It is possible to target any genomic locus virtually using only a complex nuclease protein with short RNA as a site-specific endonuclease. Since cancer is caused by genomic changes in tumor cells, CRISPR/Cas9 can be used in the field of cancer research to edit genomes for exploration of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and development. In recent years, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been increasingly used in cancer research and treatment and remarkable results have been achieved. In this review, we introduced the mechanism and development of the CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing system. Furthermore, we summarized current applications of this technique for basic research, diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Moreover, the potential applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in new emerging hotspots of oncology research were discussed, and the challenges and future directions were highlighted.

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; Cancer research; Cancer stem cell; Cancer therapy; Diagnosis of cancer; Gene editing technology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems*
  • Carcinogenesis / genetics
  • Carcinogenesis / metabolism
  • Clinical Decision-Making
  • Disease Management
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Gene Editing* / methods
  • Humans
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Precision Medicine / methods
  • Research

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor