Genetic editing technique causes unexpected mutations, according to the study

Paris, July 16 (AFP) – The promising experimental technique Crispr-Cas9, used to modify defective genes, is less accurate than previously thought and causes unexpected mutations, according to a study published Monday.

During experiments, genetics caused "significant" and "frequent" mutations in mice and human cells, according to the study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Their authors argue that the unintended changes that this technique causes in DNA "were Allan Bradley, Wellcome Sanger Institute of England, where the study was conducted.

" Any Attempt to use this technique in gene therapy should be accompanied by many precautions, monitoring any possible negative effects. "

Crispr-Cas9 was a great discovery in 2012, attributed to the Franco-American duo by Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, often quoted in Paris Nobel

It is based on an enzyme that acts as molecular scissors , able to eliminate the unwanted parts of a genome to replace them with new pieces of DNA, as if a typographical error has been corrected in a word processing program.

The Technique, in a research state, has not yet been used for humans.

But researchers have succeeded in correcting a genetic defect in human embryos – the path of great progress in the treatment of diseases

And theoretically, this technique could be used to create genetically modified babies, for example to choose the color of their hair or augme nter its physical strength.

The study published Monday showed changes in the DNA of certain cells that could activate or deactivate the gene

For Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Institute Francis Crick in London, the report confirms that in genetic publishing, "it must be verified that the changes that are produced are only those desired".

"These results do not justify panic or loss of faith in these techniques," said this researcher, who did not participate in the study.

© Agence France-Presse

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