Replies to post #249844 on Biotech Values

[vinmantoo]

This doesn’t seem to involve CRISPR. Retroviral vectors tend to integrate near oncogenes already present in the genome, i.e., your DNA, increasing the odds of triggering an oncology/cancer event.

It was my understanding that lentivirus vectors integrated in a more random fashion, reducing the chance of activating an oncogene.

Thanks Biowatch. CRISPR should remove that risk as the only thing that integrates is the repair template which theoretically only targets the defective gene that has been cut by the CRISPR machinery. I believe either NTLA or CRSP uses liposomes to get the CRISPR proteins, guide RNA and the repair template DNA into cells, which removes the risk of the DNA from the CRISPR encoding genes from integrating somewhere in the genome. I must point out that there could be unintended off-target effects so risk isn't zero but should be far less than using virus as a lentivirus or retroviral vector.

FYI, I don't own either NTLA or CRSP, at least not yet as I haven't looked into them in any detail.