A volunteer becomes the first person to receive DNA editing to lower their cholesterol.
During the trial, the researchers used a different version of the gene-editing tool CRISPR to modify a single letter of DNA in the patient’s liver cells. This version, called base editing, is different than traditional CRISPR in that it replaces a single letter of DNA with another and doesn't cut the gene in question. The research team at Verve focused on the gene called which helps regulate LDL levels in the blood, and they imply that the new process will turn off the gene.
In the long term, the company is confident that the adapted version of CRISPR will help millions who are suffering from cardiovascular disease due to high cholesterol levels. “If this works and is safe, this is the answer to heart attack—this is the cure,” Sekar Kathiresan, a gene researcher who started Verve three years ago and is the company’s CEO, toldThere's more to this trial. Doctors will conduct the same gene treatment on 40 people who inherited a form of high cholesterol called familial hypercholesterolemia . These patients' cholesterol levels are twice the average, and they're not just adults; the condition can also affect young children.
The base-editing technique is similar to mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines; the treatment involves genetic instructions in a nanoparticle that transports them into a cell.
Statins, which could decrease the LDL levels by 50 percent, are commonly prescribed in the U.S., but not everyone is able to deal with the side effects; some can't even remember to take a pill every day. AdvertisementStay ahead with the latest science, technology and innovation news, for free:
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