CRISPR Has Revolutionized Biology, but it Has a Blind Spot: Mitochondria!

These cellular powerhouses have their own DNA (mtDNA), inaccessible to CRISPR-Cas9 tools, which frustrates research.

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary genome editing technology often compared to molecular scissors.

Initially, it is a natural defense system present in bacteria to protect themselves from viruses.

Why is this important? mtDNA mutations cause incurable mitochondrial diseases that affect approximately 1 in 5,000 people.

However, scientists have made remarkable progress with new non-CRISPR techniques, such as tools based on modified bacterial enzymes. The goal is to one day be able to treat and even cure these genetic diseases! This is a potential medical breakthrough to follow closely!

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03307-x?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_content=null&utm_campaign=CONR_JRNLS_AWA1_GL_PCOM_SMEDA_NATUREPORTFOLIO&fbclid=IwY2xjawN4c2FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBDMDdQWFlrdWNSV3FCUVpjc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHll4ienRphAw2yCPPQWf8vlftQk2MOs4eF7OI6Q_Xe7SLZhtySips1zVuSAP_aem_r-bDImK8q9uR8aT4M5dkgQ