KMEDI hub publishes CRISPR gene-editing research in international journal

The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (KMEDI hub) said Monday that the “CRISPR-Cas9-based precision gene editing technology” developed by researchers at its drug development support center was published in the international journal Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids (IF=8.8).

CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing tool that can modify DNA with high accuracy, has attracted attention as a fundamental therapeutic strategy for personalized gene and cell therapy. However, it has been plagued by non-specific splicing probability, which can cause fatal side effects.

Dr. Park Sun-ji (first author), Dr. Kwon Yang-woo (co-first author), and Dr. Choi Eui-hwan (corresponding author) of KMEDIhub’s Drug Discovery Center developed a method to increase the accuracy of CRISPR-Cas9 significantly by keeping a protein called RAD51 active at all times and using a substance called SCR7.

The researchers also uncovered how DNA repair proteins interact with the CRISPR-Cas9 complex. The findings were published in the latest issue of Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids, the official journal of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT).

Gene editing technology was selected as one of the top 10 promising biotechnologies for 2023 by the Korea Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology and is a key technology for the national bioindustry. The research is expected to improve the safety and effectiveness of gene therapy drugs by reducing the probability of non-specific splicing in gene editing technology, according to the KMEDIhub.

The National Research Foundation of Korea’s basic research project and the synthetic new drug development support project between industry and academia funded the project.

“Gene correction technology is a key technology for innovation in the bio-industry, and we hope that this research will be utilized as a step towards the development of gene therapy,” KMEDIhub Chairman Yang Jin-young said.