CT-205 CRISPR/Cas9 System: Use of Genetic Engineering in Healing Cancer and Other Genetic Diseases

Abstract

CRISPR/Cas9 is an adaptive immune system of bacteria and archaea, also called archaea, against invading phages in a natural environment. Bacteria realize this system by capturing DNA sequences and using them as a memory to identify themselves as an enemy and destroy it in a future attack. Through this natural adaptive immunity of bacteria and archaea, a new way of redesigning an edit to achieve the desired genome was discovered, and more importantly, using this new design as a therapy against cancerous and genetic diseases. Thus, the present study was motivated by the fact that the CRISPR system is still a little-known topic. Thus, the objective was to carry out a literature review on the applicability of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the treatment of cancer, aiming to expand the knowledge of the technique for future therapeutic developments. The study is a literature review based on national and international journals. The primary consultations were carried out in the online libraries: NCIB, PubMed, Nature, Science, and Oncotarget. The secondary consultations were carried out through the reference articles of the primary consultation articles. The primary searches used the keyword "CRISPR". As for the secondary ones, no selection criteria were used, being limited only to the references of the primary articles. There were no restrictions on publication date and language. The CRISPR/Cas9 system, even with a short time of discovery, has become a very efficient tool, capable of repairing and modifying DNA sequences. In the field of genetic engineering, the ability to identify a specific location in DNA and modify it has always been a challenge, but this system has made it possible to manipulate genes to create a diversity of mutations in different organisms and cells. It is also worth mentioning its use in the discovery of possible targets for the treatment of pathologies and correction of phenotypes. CRISPR/Cas9 holds great promise for the development of diverse biotechnological therapies, with its easy genetic manipulation capability, efficiency, and wide application. However, we must not forget the potential weaknesses or limitations of this system until it becomes accepted by medical practice, and thus, its application for the benefit of society is possible.