First CRISPR Patients Are Thriving
December 17, 2020
The first patients successfully treated for a genetic disorder using the gene-editing tool CRISPR are doing fine. Treated in July 2019, the 10 patients had sickle cell disease or a related blood disorder, beta thalassemia. “They appear to be cured of their disease, which is simply remarkable,” says Jennifer Doudna, who shared a Nobel Prize this year for codiscovering CRISPR. In an Issues interview, she surveys the technology’s broad potential in health and other fields, and calls for public input to ensure its responsible use for the benefit of society.