CRISPR-Cas attack of HIV-1 proviral DNA can cause unintended deletion of surrounding cellular DNA.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Although HIV replication can be effectively inhibited by antiretroviral therapy, this does not result in a cure as the available drugs do not inactivate the integrated HIV-1 DNA in infected cells. Consequently, HIV-infected individuals need lifelong therapy to prevent viral rebound. Several preclinical studies indicate that CRISPR-Cas gene-editing systems can be used to achieve permanent inactivation of the viral DNA. It was previously shown that this inactivation was due to small inactivating mutations at the targeted sites in the HIV genome and to excision or inversion of the viral DNA fragment between two target sites. We, here, demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas treatment also causes large unintended deletions, which can include surrounding chromosomal sequences. As the los

SUBMITTER: Liu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10734527 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature