CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0058
Sheila Jasanoff, J Benjamin Hurlbut, Krishanu Saha, Jacob D Moses, Daniel Affsprung, Henry Austin, Françoise Baylis, John H Evans, Timothy Hunt, Douglas A Kysar, Laurence Lwoff, Peter Mills, Jahnavi Phalkey, Matthew H Porteus, O Carter Snead, Kaushik Sunder Rajan, Carrie D Wolinetz
{"title":"A Reset for Bioethics: A Statement from the Global Observatory for Genome Editing.","authors":"Sheila Jasanoff, J Benjamin Hurlbut, Krishanu Saha, Jacob D Moses, Daniel Affsprung, Henry Austin, Françoise Baylis, John H Evans, Timothy Hunt, Douglas A Kysar, Laurence Lwoff, Peter Mills, Jahnavi Phalkey, Matthew H Porteus, O Carter Snead, Kaushik Sunder Rajan, Carrie D Wolinetz","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0058","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>How should we govern our increasing power to intervene in the processes of life? Genome editing, especially of the human germline, has brought this question to the forefront of global debate. We must seek to rectify shortcomings of earlier deliberative approaches by setting aside a science-and-technology first approach; expanding the range of questions for deliberation; revisiting the distribution of innovation's benefits and risks; and reimagining the limits of research. This Perspective from the Organizing Committee of the 2025 Global Observatory for Genome Editing International Summit calls for a new social compact, recognizing and rendering accountable the constitutive role of science and technology in shaping the meaning of human life in the 21st century.</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"232-238"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0057
Jane Qiu
{"title":"From 'Frankenstein Science' to Cosmopolitan Ethics: Overlooked Perspectives on the 'CRISPR Babies' Scandal.","authors":"Jane Qiu","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0057","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0057","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In November 2018, Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui stunned the world by announcing that he had created the first genetically-modified babies. Is he a rogue scientist? What are the socio-cultural contexts that motivated him to commit an act widely regarded as morally indefensible? What does it say about Chinese bioethics? How should we determine whether it can ever be justified to permanently alter the human gene pool? This article highlights the global institutional failures that enabled this unfortunate episode, including the prevailing international scientific culture and the persistent Western bias against scientific work originated in the Global South. It calls for systemic efforts-including regulatory reforms, increased transparency, public engagement, and international cooperation-to strengthen ethics governance both within nations and across borders. Finally, it advocates for decolonizing bioethics, advancing the sociology of bioethics, and fostering a cosmopolitan approach to ethics grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and our shared humanity.</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"257-261"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-05-23DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0060
Jacob D Moses, J Benjamin Hurlbut, Sheila Jasanoff, Krishanu Saha
{"title":"Introducing Perspectives from the Global Observatory for Genome Editing.","authors":"Jacob D Moses, J Benjamin Hurlbut, Sheila Jasanoff, Krishanu Saha","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0060","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0060","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"225-227"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0043
Stuart A Newman
{"title":"Opposing Human Genetic Engineering.","authors":"Stuart A Newman","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0043","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The past five decades have been a time of substantial change in the technological capacity to modify genetic material. During this period, I have maintained an unwavering stance against human germline modification. As a biologist who has researched the complexities of genotype-phenotype relationships, I remain convinced embryo-stage human genetic modification will always remain in the realm of uncontrolled experimentation. Based on my observations and participation in the twists and turns of genetics and society, I point to the limits of calls for \"broad societal consensus.\"</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"252-256"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0053
Sarojini Nadimpally, Keertana K Tella
{"title":"Recalibrating Health Governance, Equity, and Reproductive Rights in India: A Case Study from the Global South.","authors":"Sarojini Nadimpally, Keertana K Tella","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0053","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This perspective addresses the question of reproductive governance and public health in India by drawing on experiences as a civil society organization in the field. We attempt to highlight some key issues that have emerged on this question in relation to reproductive rights, sickle cell disease management, and the ethical implications of technological advances, from the location of the Global South. In the discourse on cosmopolitan ethics, the emphasis should be on equity and social justice for marginalized people through a system that respects cultural diversity, combats systemic biases, and ensures patients' autonomy. We underscore the importance of multiple moral intuitions and notions of plurality as central to achieving health justice.</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"272-276"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-05-12DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2024.0101
Henna Butt, Mamatha Mandava, David Jacobsohn
{"title":"Advances in Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease: From Preclinical Innovations to Clinical Implementation and Access Challenges.","authors":"Henna Butt, Mamatha Mandava, David Jacobsohn","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2024.0101","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2024.0101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder caused by a specific mutation in the β-globin gene, leading to the production of hemoglobin S, which deforms red blood cells, causing occlusion in small blood vessels. This results in pain, anemia, organ damage, infections, and increased stroke risk. Treatment options, including disease-modifying therapies and curative hematopoietic stem cell transplants, have limited accessibility. Recently, autologous gene therapy has emerged as a promising curative option, particularly for SCD. Gene editing techniques such as CRISPR, base editing, and prime editing offer potential to correct this mutation. In this review, we discuss recent preclinical studies and clinical trials of gene and cell therapies, focusing on the progress of FDA-approved treatments like Lyfgenia and Casgevy. We also examine the many challenges, including accessibility, safety, and long-term efficacy, which continue to shape the future of SCD gene therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"174-188"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144008525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-05-29DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0026
Katharina G Wandera, Jeremy Dubrulle, Russell Greene, Meric Ozturk, Gavin Knott, Dipali G Sashital, Peter C Fineran
{"title":"CRISPR2025 New Zealand: Innovation and Collaboration.","authors":"Katharina G Wandera, Jeremy Dubrulle, Russell Greene, Meric Ozturk, Gavin Knott, Dipali G Sashital, Peter C Fineran","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0026","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0026","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"166-173"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2024.0099
Kalani Gast, Sydney Baker, Adair L Borges, Stephanie Ward, Jillian F Banfield, Rodolphe Barrangou
{"title":"Metagenome-Derived CRISPR-Cas12a Mining and Characterization.","authors":"Kalani Gast, Sydney Baker, Adair L Borges, Stephanie Ward, Jillian F Banfield, Rodolphe Barrangou","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2024.0099","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2024.0099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The advent of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based technologies has revolutionized genome editing, with continued interest in expanding the CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) toolbox with diverse, efficient, and specific effectors. CRISPR-Cas12a is a potent, programmable RNA-guided dual nickase, broadly used for genome editing. Here, we mined dairy cow microbial metagenomes for CRISPR-Cas systems, unraveling novel Cas12a enzymes. Using <i>in silico</i> pipelines, we characterized and predicted key drivers of CRISPR-Cas12a activity, encompassing guides and protospacer adjacent motifs for five systems. We next assessed their functional potential in cell-free transcription-translation assays with GFP-based fluorescence readouts. Lastly, we determined their genome editing potential <i>in vivo</i> in <i>Escherichia coli</i> by generating 1 kb knockouts. Unexpectedly, we observed natural sequence variation in the bridge-helix domain of the best-performing candidate and used mutagenesis to alter the activity of Cas12a orthologs, resulting in increased gene editing capabilities of a relatively inefficient candidate. This study illustrates the potential of underexplored metagenomic sequence diversity for the development and refinement of genome editing effectors.</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"189-204"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0050
Rodolphe Barrangou
{"title":"Facing Systemic Uncertainty, Can the CRISPR Community Stay the Course?","authors":"Rodolphe Barrangou","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/crispr.2025.0050","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":"8 3","pages":"165"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144276658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CRISPR JournalPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-05-07DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2025.0023
Esbjörn Henkel, Zhaojun Li, Daniel Uvehag, Bernhard Schmierer, Martin Henkel, Fredrik Wermeling
{"title":"Green Listed v2.0: A Web Application for Streamlined Design of Custom CRISPR Screens.","authors":"Esbjörn Henkel, Zhaojun Li, Daniel Uvehag, Bernhard Schmierer, Martin Henkel, Fredrik Wermeling","doi":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0023","DOIUrl":"10.1089/crispr.2025.0023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Custom CRISPR screens are powerful tools for rapid, hypothesis-driven discovery, but their design is often complex and time-consuming. Green Listed v2.0 simplifies this process with an intuitive workflow for designing custom CRISPR spacer libraries and supports downstream analysis for all users, irrespective of their computational experience. The web application features a user-friendly graphical interface freely accessible at https://greenlisted.cmm.se. Version 2.0 includes significant upgrades to the original 2016 version that were implemented based on user feedback. This includes a new gene synonym tool, expanded library options, optimized output lists, performance improvements, and linked scripts for the rational design of custom CRISPR screen gene sets.</p>","PeriodicalId":54232,"journal":{"name":"CRISPR Journal","volume":" ","pages":"216-223"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144040571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}