Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a rapid gene-editing screen to identify the effects of cancer mutations. This new technique, using a variant of CRISPR genome-editing known as prime editing, aims to revolutionize the identification of mutations that could be targeted with new cancer therapies.
Tumors can carry mutations in hundreds of different genes, each mutated in various ways. Until now, there has been no efficient way to screen these mutations in their natural setting to understand their role in tumor development, progression, and treatment response. However, MIT researchers have now introduced a method to screen these mutations much more easily and quickly.
The researchers demonstrated their technique by screening cells with over 1,000 different mutations of the tumor suppressor gene p53, all observed in cancer patients. This approach, which is easier and faster than any existing method, revealed that some p53 mutations are more harmful than previously thought. The researchers believe that this technique could also be applied to many other cancer genes, eventually leading to precision medicine and determining individual patient tumor responses to specific treatments.
Francisco Sanchez-Rivera, an MIT assistant professor of biology and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, emphasized the potential impact of this new technique. He stated, ‘In one experiment, you can generate thousands of genotypes seen in cancer patients and immediately test whether one or more of those genotypes are sensitive or resistant to any type of therapy that you’re interested in using.’
The lead author of the paper, MIT graduate student Samuel Gould, highlighted the significance of the new technique. The method builds on research that Sanchez-Rivera began 10 years ago as an MIT graduate student, and it has the potential to revolutionize cancer research and treatment.
The study, authored by Samuel Gould and published in Nature Biotechnology, marks a significant advancement in the field of cancer research. The application of this new technique could pave the way for personalized cancer treatments, offering hope for more effective and targeted therapies in the future.
