Swiss researchers identify gene variants linked to cancer progression

Researchers at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich have investigated how genetic mutations impact cell function. By employing two CRISPR/Cas techniques, they assessed the importance of these mutations in cancer development and treatment. Researchers at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich in Basel modified a gene in two human cell lines in over 50,000 different ways. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This allowed them to create a vast array of cell variants, which they then tested for functionality. They focused on a gene crucial to the development of various types of cancer, including lung, brain and breast cancer. To generate such a vast number of gene variants, the researchers combined two CRISPR/Cas methods, ETH Zurich announced on Tuesday. Base editing allows for easy and reliable modification of individual DNA building blocks, while prime editing enables precise alterations to specific gene segments. According to ...