Scientists develop new mouse variant for investigating health conditions

Scientists develop new mouse variant for investigating health conditions

Researchers at the Broad Institute and MIT have developed a new mouse model that streamlines the use of CRISPR-Cas9 for genome-editing experiments in living animals, potentially revolutionizing the field of biomedical research.

The innovative "Cas9 mouse" has already been made available to the scientific community and is currently being utilized by researchers at over a dozen institutions. The model, detailed in a paper published today in the journal Cell, has successfully been used to edit multiple genes in various cell types and to create a model for lung adenocarcinoma, one of the deadliest forms of human cancer.

Genetic research has uncovered thousands of connections between genes and diseases, but to prove the role of a specific gene in disease development, scientists need a way to manipulate it. The CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing system offers one of the most convenient methods for such manipulation in vitro, but its use in intact biological systems has been limited due to delivery complications associated with the Cas9 enzyme.

To circumvent these issues, the researchers equipped the mouse with Cas9. By doing so, they reduced the delivery burden, freeing up space for the delivery of additional genetic elements. This facilitates the simultaneous mutation of multiple genes and precise changes in DNA sequences.

The ability to manipulate multiple genes at once may prove especially valuable in studying complex diseases, such as cancer, where mutations in multiple genes can drive disease development. To demonstrate its potential in cancer research, the team used the "Cas9 mouse" to model lung adenocarcinoma.

The creation of the "Cas9 mouse" should empower researchers, enabling them to more swiftly screen through the extensive list of genes implicated in disease and normal biological processes, according to lead author Randall Platt, a graduate student at MIT working at the Broad Institute in the lab of Feng Zhang.

Researchers contributing to the study also discovered that cells derived from the "Cas9 mouse" could be extracted for lab experiments and that the mouse facilitated the editing of immune dendritic cells even after their removal from the mouse.

"With the 'Cas9 mouse,' we can more easily perturb multiple genes in vivo, making it easier to study the dynamic genetic events that unfold during the progression of cancer and other diseases," said Luciano Marraffini, an assistant professor of bacteriology at Rockefeller University who was not part of the research team.

The "Cas9 mouse" has been deposited with the Jackson Laboratory, where it is available to the scientific community by request. Its engineering should facilitate the study of the genetic events that occur during the progression of cancer and other diseases, according to Marraffini.

1. The newly developed "Cas9 mouse" has been made available for use by researchers at numerous institutions, including the Jackson Laboratory.
2. The Cas9 mouse, detailed in an article published in the journal Cell, has successfully edited multiple genes in various cell types and created a model for lung adenocarcinoma.
3. In health-and-wellness studies, the 'Cas9 mouse' is expected to empower graduate students and faculty members in their research, enabling them to more swiftly screen through the extensive list of genes implicated in diseases.4.Complex medical-conditions, such as cancer, where mutations in multiple genes can drive disease development, may benefit greatly from the simultaneous mutation of multiple genes offered by the Cas9 mouse.
4. With the "Cas9 mouse", researchers can more easily perturb multiple genes in vivo, making it easier to study the dynamic genetic events that unfold during the progression of cancer and other diseases.
5. In the field of biology, technology advancements like the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing system and the "Cas9 mouse" model may revolutionize research on various medical-conditions.
6. Researchers at the Broad Institute and MIT have circumvented the delivery complications associated with the Cas9 enzyme by equipping the mouse with Cas9, thereby reducing the delivery burden and clearing space for the delivery of additional genetic elements.
7. The Cas9 mouse, potentially revolutionizing the field of biomedical research, has successfully edited multiple genes in a variety of cell types, demonstrating its potential in cancer research by modeling lung adenocarcinoma.

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