CRISPR Cancer Treatment

For the first time in the U.S. doctors have employed CRISPR gene-editing to fight cancer in humans. Although the treatment appears to pose no safety issues, it is too early to tell whether it will improve outcomes.

The method – a form of immunotherapy – takes immune cells from the patient’s blood and deletes three genes that have been identified as possibly hindering their ability to attack the cancer. A fourth gene is introduced to enhance their immune function, and the cells are then re-introduced into the patient’s bloodstream as a one-time therapy.

So far, three patients have received the CRISPR-edited cells; two with multiple myeloma and one with sarcoma. All of the subjects had exhausted other treatment options. To date, one patient has remained stable, one has worsened, and the third is too early in the process to gauge progress. The researchers plan to continue the study with an additional 15 patients.