Image Credit: Mopic/Alamy Stock Photo
2016 was a
landmark year for the biotechnology industry as it was for the first time that
the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique was used in humans. With
more human trials involving CRISPR-Cas9 scheduled to be conducted, I believe
2017 will be the year when the technology’s potential to treat human diseases
could receive strong clinical validation.
CRISPR-Cas9, which
provides scientists with a breakthrough tool to alter or replace the DNA of
nearly any living organism with unprecedented precision, is one of the most
promising scientific discoveries of the past century. This is why there was
considerable excitement in the biotech world when news broke that scientists in China had injected
cells modified with CRISPR technology into
a patient suffering from an aggressive form of lung cancer.
In the China
trial, scientists used CRISPR technology to edit out genes that were preventing
the lung cancer patient’s immune cells from attacking malignant cells. These
modified immune cells were then injected back into the patient to help fight
back the disease. The trial was seeking to primarily establish the safety of using
CRISPR-based genetic modification to fight cancer. Beyond cancer, CRISPR holds
the promise of therapeutic applications in tackling hitherto incurable genetic
disorders such as haemophilia, muscular dystrophy, sickle-cell anemia and
cystic fibrosis, as well as chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and
Alzheimer’s disease.
The fact that
CRISPR has been able to capture the popular imagination is evident from the
fact that the four scientists who pioneered the development of the CRISPR
gene-editing system were named runners-up for TIME magazine’s 2016 Person of
the Year! They lost out to Donald Trump.
Faster, Cheaper & More Efficient
What makes CRISPR
such a breakthrough innovation is the fact that it makes gene editing faster,
easier, efficient and cheaper than previously available technologies. In time,
CRISPR can open the door to affordable therapies that offer the right treatment
for the right patient at the right time with the aim of minimizing side effects
and maximizing positive outcomes.
Recently,
researchers at the Salk Institute demonstrated that CRISPR could be used to
partially restore vision in genetically blind rats. The Salk technique
represents the first time scientists have managed to insert a new gene into a
precise DNA location in adult cells that no longer divide, such as those of the
eye, brain, pancreas or heart, offering new possibilities for therapeutic
applications in these cells, the study, published in the journal Nature,
said.
The rising
popularity of CRISPR technology mirrors today’s medical paradigm that is
rapidly evolving from treating symptoms to understanding disease at a cellular
and genetic level to deliver personalised diagnostics and therapies.
Scientists are
even looking at the possibility of using CRISPR technology to grow human organs
in animals for transplantation, thus effectively tackling the problem of human
donor shortages.
Studies are also
ongoing to use CRISPR to manipulate mosquito genes so that they can no longer
spread killer diseases like malaria and dengue. Research is also being
conducted into the ecological and agricultural applications of CRISPR
technology – from helping protect endangered species to developing
pest-resistant crops that would help cut down use of toxic pesticides.
Huge Investor Interest
The huge potential
of CRISPR has expectedly generated immense investor interest. In 2016 alone,
the US witnessed the market debuts of three biotech companies focused on CRISPR
technology. Editas Medicine and Intellia Therapeutics raised over USD100
million each through their market offerings earlier this year, according to Bloomberg;
while Crispr Therapeutics generated USD56 million through its IPO in October.
In fact, companies working on CRISPR technology have raised over USD600 million
since 2013 in venture capital and the public markets, researchers at Montana
State University had estimated in 2015.
In the US, the
first human clinical trials to study the safety of a CRISPR-based cancer treatment
are expected to be initiated in 2017. Interestingly, the trials are being
funded by The Parker Institute, a new philanthropy created by tech billionaire
Sean Parker to battle cancer.
Ensuring Affordable Access
While investments
are welcome, the international medical research community needs to be cognizant
of the fact that this breakthrough technology is not hijacked by purely
commercial interests. The rush to profit from new biomedical discoveries based
on CRISPR should not lead to the creation of restrictive patent regimes and
monopolistic markets. It should not end up as a model that seeks to sustain
super-normal profits by discriminating against patients on the basis of nationality, race and
economic status.
The focus should
firmly be on using CRISPR to develop therapies that fulfil unmet medical needs
while ensuring they are affordable and thus accessible. The needs of poor
patients and overall public health should not be sacrificed in favour of
developing non-essential treatments for rich patients.
The game-changing
CRISPR technology should lead to new paradigm where those needing life-saving
medicines get it, at all times and in all places.
Kiran Mazumdar - Shaw
Dec 19, 2016
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