Australian researchers have developed a CRISPR-based approach using an enzyme that binds to SARS-CoV-2 RNA, degrading the genome segment essential for viral replication inside human cells. This innovative work holds promise for a novel antiviral treatment.
As of June 2021, SARS-CoV-2 had infected over 170 million people worldwide and caused more than 3.8 million deaths. While highly effective vaccines are now available in many countries, progress in treatments—such as modified monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule antivirals—has been limited.
The virus's ability to evolve under host, environmental, and therapeutic pressures is evident in the emergence of more transmissible and pathogenic variants globally. We urgently need innovative prevention and treatment strategies to counter these dynamic changes in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Could CRISPR provide the answer?
CRISPR genome-editing technology has revolutionized medicine in recent years. It employs a bacterial protein that precisely cuts DNA at targeted sequences or inserts genetic material. This enables rapid and efficient modification of cellular genomes. French scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier and American Jennifer Doudna received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their pioneering contributions.
As reported by Le Temps, CRISPR has shown promising results in studies eliminating cancer-causing genetic mutations in children. Clinical trials are advancing for rare genetic diseases.
In a study published in Nature Communications, University of Melbourne researchers utilized the CRISPR-Cas13b enzyme, which bound to SARS-CoV-2 RNA and degraded the replication-critical genome segment in lab tests, preventing the virus from multiplying and infecting other cells.
“Once the virus is recognized, the CRISPR enzyme activates and cuts it,” explains lead author Sharon Lewin to AFP. “We targeted stable, unchanging regions and highly variable ones—all worked effectively against the virus.”
The technique also halted replication in samples from variants of concern, like Alpha.
Sharon Lewin envisions an oral antiviral treatment administered immediately upon diagnosis. “A 'test and treat' strategy requires a cheap, oral, non-toxic antiviral,” she notes. “That's our goal with this genetic scissors method.”
Animal trials are planned soon, followed by human clinical studies.
