A CRISPR gene editing experiment could have had an impact on the brain of twins

Last year, a group of scientists claimed to have used CRISPR to disable a gene called CCR5 to make girls immunized against HIV. The virus uses this gene as a gateway in the body. In a report published in the journal Cell this week, the researchers suggested that people who do not have the CCR5 gene recover faster after a stroke or traumatic brain injury. People who naturally also lack the gene generally stay longer at school, Review of MIT technology Notes.

Meanwhile, a trial at the University of California at Los Angeles is investigating whether the anti-HIV drug Maraviroc, which chemically blocks CCR5, can improve the cognition of people living with HIV. The virus, which can cause memory problems, uses the gene as a gateway in the body.

In 2016, Silva was part of a team that examined how the same twins' DNA modification had impacted mice, and found that it seemed to make them smarter. It is not clear whether He Jiankui, who led the experiment on the twins and was later arrested by the Chinese authorities, was aware of this research and was also trying to improve the situation. intelligence of girls. Anyway, it will probably take a long time before we can really understand the accidental consequences that gene editing may have, for better or for worse.