First U.S. Patients Treated With CRISPR As Human Gene-Editing Trials Get Underway

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CREDIT:

NPR Health Correspondent: Rob Stein
Date: Tuesday, April 16th, 2019
Website (URL): https://n.pr/2V4jNCY

DESCRIPTION:

CRISPR is a new kind of genetic engineering (i.e., gene-editing technology) that gives scientists the power to edit DNA much more easily than ever. This technology is now being used in human trials to treat several diseases, such as Sickle Cell Disease, in the United States of America.

Sickle Cell Disease affects millions of people worldwide. It is most common among people whose ancestors come from Africa; Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Turkey, and Italy; the Arabian Peninsula; India; and Spanish-speaking regions in South America, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean.

Sickle Cell Disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States, affecting 70,000 to 80,000 Americans. The disease is estimated to occur in 1 in 500 African Americans and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic Americans.