First Crispr cancer trial in humans shows safety and durability

An illustration showing the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing complex

Source: © Science Photo Library

Immune-cell modifications target tumours and lift the PD-1 ‘brake’

The first human clinical trials of a cancer treatment using immune cells edited with Crispr–Cas9 gene editing technology have shown that the modified cells are safe and long-lasting . US researchers used Crispr together with viral gene modification to target patients’ T cells at their tumours, and found that the edited cells persisted in the patients for up to nine months.