Researchers used CRISPR gene editing to remove CD33, a protein target, from donor stem cells, potentially giving doctors a way to attack aggressive blood cancers while sparing the healthy cells patients depend on after a transplant. In a 30-patient trial, the edited stem cells successfully engrafted and appeared to shield blood cells from a CD33-targeted cancer treatment, suggesting cancer therapy could be intensified without the usual collateral damage to a patient’s healthy blood supply. The approach opens the door to more aggressive, targeted treatment strategies for blood cancers where destroying healthy cells alongside cancerous ones has long been a major limitation of existing therapies.
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