In a potential advance for melanoma patients, researchers at ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute have used CRISPR gene editing tools to disable a gene mutation often seen in aggressive forms of this dangerous skin cancer that renders promising treatments ineffective. The study, published in the October 10 issue of the CRISPR Journal, focused on melanoma cells taken from a patient whose cancer had developed a mutation that causes drugs that can slow the progress of the disease to stop working. The scientists used CRISPR gene editing tools to disable the mutation and restore treatment sensitivity to the cancer cells in a way that appears to minimize risks of dangerous side effects.
This approach is tumor-specific and will target melanoma tumor cells and leave healthy cells alone, restoring sensitivity to anticancer drugs only in the tumor cells. ‘A major step forward’ for melanoma treatment “This study validates our previous research findings in lung cancer that CRISPR gene editing can disable genes involved in resistance to cancer treatments, and this now appears to extend to patients with melanoma,” said Eric Kmiec, Ph.D.
, executive director and chief scientific officer of ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute, and senior author of the study. This treatment could be delivered intravenously or by direct injection and represents a major step forward. This trend we are finding is extremely hopeful for people with cancer that is often resistant to current treatm.