CRISPR-Cas9: A Promising Therapeutic Approach for Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic condition that raises blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) without insulin or insulin receptor defects. Insulin is a peptide hormone the pancreatic beta cells produce and controls blood glucose levels. The defective immune system engulfs the beta cells of the pancreas, causing no insulin production or the insulin receptors to become faulty, resulting in insulin resistance. There are two main types of diabetes mellitus: type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In type 1 diabetes mellitus, the beta cells are engulfed by the defective immune system; hence the insulin production stops, and in type 2 diabetes mellitus, there is a defect in the insulin receptor that causes insulin resistance. Both types of diabetes cause uncontrolled blood sugar levels, which can lead to severe damage to vital body organs such as the heart, kidney, limbs, eyes, and nerves. The diseases of these organs are cardiovascular diseases, nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, high blood pressure, and obesity. There are several methods to treat diabetes mellitus, such as islet cell transplant, tablets and medication, insulin pumps, weight loss surgery, insulin, diet and exercise, and emotional support. However, the medicines involved in traditionally treating diabetes mellitus are finerenone, tirzepatide, and, GLP-1 receptor, SGLT-2 inhibitors. These medicines cause severe damage to the body, such as cardiovascular death, transient ischemic attack, end-stage kidney diseases, and limb removal (amputation). Therefore, a new modern gene editing technology such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9) is involved in treating diabetes. In this technology, gene editing occurs in the human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) taken from the patient’s body; these cells are converted into improved pancreatic beta cells. There are different methods involved, including cell-based therapies (such as stem cells and brown adipocytes), targeting specific genes associated with diabetes. This paper presents a critical review of the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 technology for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.