Artificial virus vector can be used for genome editing

Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, May 31 (Reporter Zhang Mengran) On the 30th, Nature Newsletter reported a method of making artificial virus like vectors that can enter human cells to perform specific tasks, such as genome editing. This large capacity, customizable nanomaterial brings new hope for future gene therapy and customized medicine

Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, May 31 (Reporter Zhang Mengran) On the 30th, Nature Newsletter reported a method of making artificial virus like vectors that can enter human cells to perform specific tasks, such as genome editing. This large capacity, customizable nanomaterial brings new hope for future gene therapy and customized medicine.

A virus is an efficient biological "machine" that can quickly replicate and assemble offspring. Natural human viruses, such as Lentivirus, have previously been modified to deliver therapeutic DNA or RNA in animals, but their delivery capacity is limited and there are safety problems. By manufacturing artificial viral vectors programmed with therapeutic molecules, the virus mechanism can be utilized by humans, which can provide beneficial repairs and help restore human health.

The research teams of Catholic University and Purdue University in the United States have designed a method to create artificial virus vectors (AVVs) using a type of virus called T4 bacteriophages that can infect bacteria. This type of AVV has a large internal capacity and a large external surface, which can be programmed and deliver therapeutic biomolecules. In the proof of concept experiment, they generated AVV containing protein and nucleic acid substances, which is used to demonstrate its use in genome modification. In the laboratory, this platform can successfully deliver the full-length Dystrophin gene to human cells, and perform various molecular operations to modify the human genome. In addition, the cost of mass production of AVVs is not high, and these nanomaterials can remain stable for several months.

The team said that although further work is needed to evaluate safety, this method has shown future prospects and can be used for clinical treatment of human and rare diseases.

Editor in Chief Circle

Viruses are the most abundant and widely distributed organisms on Earth. Their composition is so simple, but their evolutionary mechanisms are so efficient, causing deadly infections and global epidemics that require humans to expend enormous human and material resources to resist. Can we make this characteristic of the virus work for me? This is the research direction of artificial virus vectors. For many years, this field has only been in its infancy, but now we see the hope that this technology brings for future gene therapy and customized medicine.

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