[A] recent “spate of technological advances” could see something like brain editing become a reality. Recent breakthroughs in CRISPR-derived gene-editing therapies for blood, liver and eye diseases may herald similar treatments for neurological conditions, according to researchers speaking to science journal Nature.
Tests on mice have prompted optimism that scientists will soon be able to find a way to treat brain diseases or even figure out the mysterious origins of seizures, including such puzzles as whether or not these can be traced to genetic mutations.
Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University recently reported having used CRISPR to repair mutations in mice that, when seen in humans, lead to a condition called alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), which typically causes toddlers to have seizures and sporadic paralysis. The team said they fixed mutations in the cortex, a brain region that controls learning and memory.
Meanwhile, a team of scientists based in Shanghai said they had carried out similar work targeting a mutation which has been linked to epilepsy when manifesting in humans.