Photo: impulsq | Unsplash
Patrick Doherty no longer gets out of breath climbing hills, thanks to a revolutionary treatment that edited the genes that cause amyloidosis -- the disease that had killed his father. CRISPR, which lets scientists make precise changes in DNA, was infused directly and went to his liver where it edited the gene and shut down the protein that causes the degenerative disease. Earlier treatments removed cells, edited them in the lab, and then infused them back in, or injected CRISPR directly into cells that need fixing. Researchers say this new use of CRISPR also offers promise for treating more common diseases such as heart disease, muscular dystrophy and Alzheimer's.
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