Scientists have discovered a unique CRISPR enzyme called Cas12a2 that can be programmed to recognise specific RNA molecules produced by cancer cells. Once activated, the enzyme indiscriminately shreds the cell’s DNA, causing the cancer cell to stop growing and self-destruct. Researchers are exploring this approach as a potential way to target cancers driven by difficult-to-treat mutations in genes such as TP53 and KRAS, which are involved in many cancers. The technology could act like a programmable molecular kill switch, selectively destroying cells carrying specific cancer-related signals. Although the approach is still in early research and development, it could eventually offer a new strategy for treating cancers considered “undruggable.”
Read more at Nature