CRISPR/Cas9 in the era of nanomedicine and synthetic biology

Tiziana Julia Nadjeschda Schmidt; Barbara Berarducci; Soultana Konstantinidou; Vittoria Raffa

doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103375

CRISPR/Cas9 in the era of nanomedicine and synthetic biology

Drug Discov Today. 2023 Jan;28(1):103375. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103375. Epub 2022 Sep 27.

Authors

Tiziana Julia Nadjeschda Schmidt¹, Barbara Berarducci¹, Soultana Konstantinidou¹, Vittoria Raffa²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, University of Pisa, SS12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
² Department of Biology, University of Pisa, SS12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: vittoria.raffa@unipi.it.

PMID: 36174966
DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103375

Abstract

The CRISPR/Cas system was first discovered as a defense mechanism in bacteria and is now used as a tool for precise gene-editing applications. Rapidly evolving, it is increasingly applied in therapeutics. However, concerns about safety, specificity, and delivery still limit its potential. In this context, we introduce the concept of nanogenetics and speculate how the rational engineering of the CRISPR/Cas machinery could advance the biomedical field. In nanogenetics, the advantages of traditional approaches of synthetic biology could be expanded by nanotechnology approaches, enabling the design of a new generation of intrinsically safe and specific genome-editing platforms.

Keywords: Genome editing; Nanogenetics; Nanomedicine; Synthetic biology.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

CRISPR-Cas Systems* / genetics
Gene Editing
Genetic Therapy
Nanomedicine*
Synthetic Biology