2019 – Posted in: Daily News

CRISPR GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY

For: Mains
Topics covered: Box Jellyfish, anti-venom drug, CRISPR Technology, Gene editing, Genes

News Flash

A team of researchers has managed to develop an antidote to block ‘Box Jellyfish’ (Chironex fleckeri) venom using the powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR.

Chironex fleckeri is among the deadliest box jellyfish species, with an explosive sting that causes cardiac arrest in humans.

Box Jellyfish

The most powerful venom in the world actually belongs to a species of box jellyfish.

Box jellyfish are common in waters around Asia and Australia. The fact that they are so very transparent makes these near-invisible water animals hard to spot unless you’re looking specifically for them. Their tentacles produce nematocysts, a toxin that sends the blood pressure of its victims sky-high if the sting isn’t neutralized with an antidote in the first 20 minutes or so.

What the team did

The team was able to modify human DNA in these cells by turning a set of four genes off, after which the jellyfish venom was useless against it.

The genes were all part of a pathway the body uses to regulate cholesterol. These genes are what makes the box jellyfish venom so deadly and capable of destroying cells.

How Drug will work

The drug is known to work by pulling cholesterol out of the cell membrane, so we think the jellyfish venom needs membrane cholesterol to exert its effect.

Other Drugs

There were some cholesterol drugs that were effective against the venom too, for upto 15 minutes after a poisonous sting.

The drug, cyclodextrin, is already tested safe for humans, cheap and readily available. It stops tissue death, scarring and pain completely when applied on the skin.

CRISPR technology

CRISPR” stands for “clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”.

CRISPR” (pronounced “crisper”) is shorthand for “CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPRs are specialized stretches of DNA. The protein Cas9 (or “CRISPR-associated”) is an enzyme that acts like a pair of molecular scissors, capable of cutting strands of DNA.

CRISPR technology is a simple yet powerful tool for editing genomes. It allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. Its many potential applications include correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases and improving crops.

Genes

Genes contain the bio-information that defines any individual. Physical attributes like height, skin or hair colour, more subtle features and even behavioural traits can be attributed to information encoded in the genetic material.

Source: First Post

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