CRISPR vs. SARS-CoV-2
Scientists have found a way to stop the replication of coronavirus
Australian biologists have managed to suppress the reproduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in human cells with the help of genetic engineering. The authors believe that their proposed method will be an important step in the fight against COVID-19.
The article was published in the journal Nature Communications (Fareh et al., Reprogrammed CRISPR-Cas13b suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication and circumstances its mutational escape through mismatch tolerance).
The discovery is based on the results of a previous study in 2019, when scientists from the Peter McCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne created a CRISPR gene editing tool that allows you to remove abnormal RNAs that cause cancer in children. Now, together with colleagues from the Peter Doherty Institute of Infections and Immunity at the University of Melbourne, they have proved that this is also suitable for suppressing the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus.
The basis of the gene editing tool is the enzyme CRISPR-Cas13b, which binds to RNA targets and destroys the part of the genome necessary for replication inside cells. The authors tested the effectiveness of this method in the laboratory – in vitro – on infected human cells. They managed to suppress the replication of various variants of the virus, including new strains classified, according to the WHO classification, to the group with the highest threat rating VOC (Variants of Concern) – "of concern".
In the near future, the researchers plan to test the new approach on animals, and in the future – on humans.
"So far, the response to the pandemic has focused mainly on the deployment of protective vaccines, but there remains an urgent need to develop treatment for patients with COVID-19," the words of one of the authors of the article, Professor Sharon Lewin, are quoted in the press release of Discovery points to targeted treatment for COVID–19.
Scientists note that based on the CRISPR-Cas13 method, which only needs a viral sequence, it is possible to quickly develop antiviral drugs against any new viruses.
"Unlike conventional antiviral drugs, the strength of this tool lies in its flexibility and adaptability, which makes it suitable for creating drugs against a variety of pathogenic viruses, including influenza, Ebola and possibly HIV," continues the head of the study, Dr. Mohamed Fareh.
The double strength of the new method lies in the fact that it suppresses the replication of the virus and at the same time prevents its new variants from escaping from the host's immunity, the researchers emphasize. The computer model allows screening of the entire genome with a resolution of up to one nucleotide, and the CRISPR-Cas13b method of reprogramming genomic and subgenomic RNAs SARS-CoV-2 ensures the effectiveness of suppressing the expression of the corresponding genes up to 98 percent.
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