{"title":"Mapping the therapeutic landscape of CRISPR-Cas9 for combating age-related diseases.","authors":"Qiyu He, Yida Wang, Zhimin Tan, Xian Zhang, Chao Yu, Xiaoqin Jiang","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1558432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1558432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9) has emerged as a transformative genome-editing tool with significant therapeutic potential for age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disorders, and osteoporosis. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of CRISPR-Cas9 research in age-related diseases, identifying key contributors, major research hotspots, and critical technological advancements. While promising applications have been demonstrated in gene repair, functional regulation, and molecular interventions, significant barriers persist, including off-target effects, low delivery efficiency, and limited editing in non-dividing cells. Ethical concerns over germline editing and gaps in long-term safety data further complicate clinical translation. Future directions emphasize the development of high-precision Cas9 variants, homology-directed repair-independent tools, and efficient delivery systems, alongside the establishment of international regulatory frameworks and multicenter clinical trials. These efforts are essential to fully realize the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 in addressing the global health challenges of aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1558432"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12006052/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144060339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CRISPR-dependent base editing as a therapeutic strategy for rare monogenic disorders.","authors":"Júlia-Jié Cabré-Romans, Raquel Cuella-Martin","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1553590","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1553590","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rare monogenic disorders are caused by mutations in single genes and have an incidence rate of less than 0.5%. Due to their low prevalence, these diseases often attract limited research and commercial interest, leading to significant unmet medical needs. In a therapeutic landscape where treatments are targeted to manage symptoms, gene editing therapy emerges as a promising approach to craft curative and lasting treatments for these patients, often referred to as \"one-and-done\" therapeutics. CRISPR-dependent base editing enables the precise correction of genetic mutations by direct modification of DNA bases without creating potentially deleterious DNA double-strand breaks. Base editors combine a nickase version of Cas9 with cytosine or adenine deaminases to convert C·G to T·A and A·T to G·C, respectively. Together, cytosine (CBE) and adenine (ABE) base editors can theoretically correct ∼95% of pathogenic transition mutations cataloged in ClinVar. This mini-review explores the application of base editing as a therapeutic approach for rare monogenic disorders. It provides an overview of the state of gene therapies and a comprehensive compilation of preclinical studies using base editing to treat rare monogenic disorders. Key considerations for designing base editing-driven therapeutics are summarized in a user-friendly guide for researchers interested in applying this technology to a specific rare monogenic disorder. Finally, we discuss the prospects and challenges for bench-to-bedside translation of base editing therapies for rare monogenic disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1553590"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12000063/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144032174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cas9 endonuclease: a molecular tool for <i>in vitro</i> cloning and CRISPR edit detection.","authors":"Xingliang Ma, Dhouha Kthiri, Manpartik S Gill, Curtis J Pozniak, Sateesh Kagale","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1565297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1565297","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Large genetic engineering constructs often face limitations in DNA element addition or replacement due to lack of unique endonuclease recognition sites. Traditional restriction resistance methods can identify CRISPR-induced mutants efficiently, but CRISPR target sites rarely contain suitable restriction motifs. Here, we demonstrate the use of <i>Sp</i>Cas9 combined with custom synthesised sgRNAs to linearize large plasmid constructs, enabling DNA element incorporation via seamless cloning methods. Additionally, <i>Sp</i>Cas9 and custom sgRNAs were used to digest target gene amplicons for effective genotyping of CRISPR-edited mutants, allowing us to distinguish between wild-type, heterozygous, and biallelic variants. This approach provides a straightforward, highly flexible method for modifying large plasmid constructs and screening CRISPR-induced edits.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1565297"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11996781/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144061251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Navjot Kaur, Muslim Qadir, Dali V Francis, Anshu Alok, Siddharth Tiwari, Zienab F R Ahmed
{"title":"CRISPR/Cas9: a sustainable technology to enhance climate resilience in major Staple Crops.","authors":"Navjot Kaur, Muslim Qadir, Dali V Francis, Anshu Alok, Siddharth Tiwari, Zienab F R Ahmed","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1533197","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1533197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change is a global concern for agriculture, food security, and human health. It affects several crops and causes drastic losses in yield, leading to severe disturbances in the global economy, environment, and community. The consequences on important staple crops, such as rice, maize, and wheat, will worsen and create food insecurity across the globe. Although various methods of trait improvements in crops are available and are being used, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) mediated genome manipulation have opened a new avenue for functional genomics and crop improvement. This review will discuss the progression in crop improvement from conventional breeding methods to advanced genome editing techniques and how the CRISPR/Cas9 technology can be applied to enhance the tolerance of the main cereal crops (wheat, rice, and maize) against any harsh climates. CRISPR/Cas endonucleases and their derived genetic engineering tools possess high accuracy, versatile, more specific, and easy to design, leading to climate-smart or resilient crops to combat food insecurity and survive harsh environments. The CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing approach has been applied to various crops to make them climate resilient. This review, supported by a bibliometric analysis of recent literature, highlights the potential target genes/traits and addresses the significance of gene editing technologies in tackling the vulnerable effects of climate change on major staple crops staple such as wheat, rice, and maize.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1533197"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11958969/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R L Chavhan, S G Jaybhaye, V R Hinge, A S Deshmukh, U S Shaikh, P K Jadhav, U S Kadam, J C Hong
{"title":"Emerging applications of gene editing technologies for the development of climate-resilient crops.","authors":"R L Chavhan, S G Jaybhaye, V R Hinge, A S Deshmukh, U S Shaikh, P K Jadhav, U S Kadam, J C Hong","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1524767","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1524767","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change threatens global crop yield and food security due to rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and increased abiotic stresses like drought, heat, and salinity. Gene editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9, base editors, and prime editors, offer precise tools for enhancing crop resilience. This review explores the mechanisms of these technologies and their applications in developing climate-resilient crops to address future challenges. While CRISPR/enables targeted modifications of plant DNA, the base editors allow for direct base conversion without inducing double-stranded breaks, and the prime editors enable precise insertions, deletions, and substitutions. By understanding and manipulating key regulator genes involved in stress responses, such as <i>DREB, HSP, SOS, ERECTA, HsfA1,</i> and <i>NHX;</i> crop tolerance can be enhanced against drought, heat, and salt stress. Gene editing can improve traits related to root development, water use efficiency, stress response pathways, heat shock response, photosynthesis, membrane stability, ion homeostasis, osmotic adjustment, and oxidative stress response. Advancements in gene editing technologies, integration with genomics, phenomics, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) hold great promise. However, challenges such as off-target effects, delivery methods, and regulatory barriers must be addressed. This review highlights the potential of gene editing to develop climate-resilient crops, contributing to food security and sustainable agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1524767"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11931038/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143702393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joshua Waites, V Mohan Murali Achary, Easter D Syombua, Sarah J Hearne, Anindya Bandyopadhyay
{"title":"CRISPR-mediated genome editing of wheat for enhancing disease resistance.","authors":"Joshua Waites, V Mohan Murali Achary, Easter D Syombua, Sarah J Hearne, Anindya Bandyopadhyay","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1542487","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1542487","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wheat is cultivated across diverse global environments, and its productivity is significantly impacted by various biotic stresses, most importantly but not limited to rust diseases, Fusarium head blight, wheat blast, and powdery mildew. The genetic diversity of modern cultivars has been eroded by domestication and selection, increasing their vulnerability to biotic stress due to uniformity. The rapid spread of new highly virulent and aggressive pathogen strains has exacerbated this situation. Three strategies can be used for enhancing disease resistance through genome editing: introducing resistance (<i>R</i>) gene-mediated resistance, engineering nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs), and manipulating susceptibility (<i>S</i>) genes to stop pathogens from exploiting these factors to support infection. Utilizing <i>R</i> gene-mediated resistance is the most common strategy for traditional breeding approaches, but the continuous evolution of pathogen effectors can eventually overcome this resistance. Moreover, modifying <i>S</i> genes can confer pleiotropic effects that hinder their use in agriculture. Enhancing disease resistance is paramount for sustainable wheat production and food security, and new tools and strategies are of great importance to the research community. The application of CRISPR-based genome editing provides promise to improve disease resistance, allowing access to a broader range of solutions beyond random mutagenesis or intraspecific variation, unlocking new ways to improve crops, and speeding up resistance breeding. Here, we first summarize the major disease resistance strategies in the context of important wheat diseases and their limitations. Next, we turn our attention to the powerful applications of genome editing technology in creating new wheat varieties against important wheat diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1542487"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11893844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143607414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Duoduo Wang, Palash Mandal, Md Sazan Rahman, Lirong Yang
{"title":"Engineering tomato disease resistance by manipulating susceptibility genes.","authors":"Duoduo Wang, Palash Mandal, Md Sazan Rahman, Lirong Yang","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1537148","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1537148","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Various pathogens severely threaten tomato yield and quality. Advances in understanding plant-pathogen interactions have revealed the intricate roles of resistance (R) and susceptibility (S) genes in determining plant immunity. While R genes provide targeted pathogen resistance, they are often vulnerable to pathogen evolution. Conversely, S genes offer a promising avenue for developing broad-spectrum and durable resistance through targeted gene editing. Recent breakthroughs in CRISPR/Cas-based technologies have revolutionized the manipulation of plant genomes, enabling precise modification of S genes to enhance disease resistance in tomato without compromising growth or quality. However, the utilization of the full potential of this technique is challenging due to the complex plant-pathogen interactions and current technological limitations. This review highlights key advances in using gene editing tools to dissect and engineer tomato S genes for improved immunity. We discuss how S genes influence pathogen entry, immune suppression, and nutrient acquisition, and how their targeted editing has conferred resistance to bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. Furthermore, we address the challenges associated with growth-defense trade-offs and propose strategies, such as hormonal pathway modulation and precise regulatory edits, to overcome these limitations. This review underscores the potential of CRISPR-based approaches to transform tomato breeding, paving the way for sustainable production of disease-resistant cultivars amidst escalating global food security challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1537148"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11847883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143494625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial: Insights in genome editing in animals 2023/2024.","authors":"Gӧtz Laible, Mark Cigan","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1556425","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2025.1556425","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"7 ","pages":"1556425"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11799947/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143384331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Intein-mediated split <i>Sa</i>Cas9 for genome editing in plants.","authors":"Danling Hu, Lizhe Hu, Yaqiang Lu, Xiao Dong, Xingyu Cao, Shasha Bai, Lingang Zhang, Dongming Li, Yongwei Sun","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2024.1506468","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2024.1506468","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) technologies have been developed to address the limitations to plant genome editing, which heavily relies on genetic transformation and regeneration. However, the application of VIGE in plants is hampered by the challenge posed by the size of the commonly used gene editing nucleases, Cas9 and Cas12a. To overcome this challenge, we employed intein-mediated protein splicing to divide the <i>SaCas9</i> transcript into two segments (Split-v1) and three segments (Split-v3). The Split-v1 system demonstrated genome editing efficiencies in transgenic plants comparable to those achieved with wild-type SaCas9, with efficiencies ranging from 70.2% to 96.1%. Additionally, we constructed barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-based vectors to co-express Split-v1 SaCas9 and gRNAs targeting <i>LcHRC</i>, <i>LcGW2</i>, and <i>LcTB1</i> in sheepgrass (<i>Leymus chinensis</i>), a Gramineae forage species known for its recalcitrance to genetic transformation. Infected leaves of sheepgrass exhibited genome editing efficiencies ranging from 10.40% to 37.03%. These results demonstrate the potential of intein-mediated split nuclease systems to broaden the applicability of VIGE in challenging plant species.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"6 ","pages":"1506468"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11750852/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hyperthermia suppresses the biological characteristics and migration of chicken primordial germ cells.","authors":"Yuzhou Gu, Kexin Wu, Bowen Niu, Zhiting Wang, Yuchen Jie, Zixuan Fan, Junying Li, Congjiao Sun, Zhuo-Cheng Hou, Li-Wa Shao","doi":"10.3389/fgeed.2024.1512108","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgeed.2024.1512108","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Primordial germ cells (PGCs) play a crucial role in transmitting genetic information to the next-generation. In chickens, genetically edited PGCs can be propagated <i>in vitro</i> and subsequently transplanted into recipient embryos to produce offspring with desired genetic traits. However, during early embryogenesis, the effects of external conditions on PGC migration through the vascular system to the gonads have yet to be explored, which may affect the efficiency of preparing gene-edited chickens. In this study, we investigated the effects of hyperthermia on the biological characteristics and migration of chicken PGCs. A gonad-derived PGC line of White Leghorn (WLH) chicken was established and verified through PAS staining and immunofluorescence of PGC-specific proteins. To visually observe PGC migration <i>in vivo</i>, GFP-positive PGCs were prepared and locations of chimeras were validated. Cell viability, glycogen granule contents, and mRNA expression levels of pluripotency markers (<i>NANOG</i> and <i>POUV</i>), germ cell-specific markers (<i>DAZL</i> and <i>CVH</i>), and telomerase reverse transcriptase (<i>TERT</i>) were reduced in PGCs cultured under high temperatures (43°C for 12, 24, and 48 h). After the heat treatment of donor PGCs (43°C) or recipient embryos (39.5°C), GFP-positive PGCs in gonads were rarely observed. Taken together, our results underscore the negative effects of hyperthermia on the biological characteristics and migration of chicken PGCs, which provides valuable insights for the implementation of PGC-based gene editing techniques in chickens.</p>","PeriodicalId":73086,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in genome editing","volume":"6 ","pages":"1512108"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11751037/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}