Breakthroughs
| Year | Advance |
|---|---|
| 2012 | CRISPR gene editing described by Doudna and Charpentier |
| 2017 | First CAR-T cell therapies approved for cancer |
| 2020 | CRISPR wins the Nobel Prize; mRNA vaccines authorized |
| 2023 | First CRISPR-based therapy approved, for sickle cell disease |
Many more treatments are in clinical trials.
New tools
Gene editing
Fix or switch off faulty genes
Immunotherapy
Train immune cells to attack cancer
mRNA medicines
Instructions that teach cells to make a protein
Personalized medicine
Treatment matched to your genes
Hopes and questions
Hopes
- Cures for inherited diseases
- Better cancer survival
- Faster vaccines
Questions
- Cost and who can afford it
- Long-term safety
- Where to draw the line on editing
Sources: Nobel Prize archives; U.S. Food and Drug Administration; National Institutes of Health
Remember
Medicine is moving from treating symptoms to fixing causes, and society must decide how to use that power wisely.
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Answer key
- What does CRISPR do?Edits DNA preciselyIt's a gene-editing tool.
- Who won the 2020 Nobel Prize for CRISPR?Doudna and CharpentierJennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier.
- What does immunotherapy do?Trains the immune system to fight diseaseIt harnesses immune cells against cancer.
- What was the first approved CRISPR therapy for?Sickle cell diseaseApproved in 2023.
- Which is an ethical question about gene editing?Where to draw the lineSociety debates its limits.