Overview: CRISPR Technology Headed to Clinical Trials

Although much of the recent attention to CRISPR gene editing has been negative, with a focus on Chinese researcher He Jiankui’s use of the technique to modify the genomes of a set of twins and his subsequent arrest and prison sentence, CRISPR still remains one of the great hopes for treating diseases. Some of the focus appears to be shifting toward a more positive story, Boston-based Editas Medicine’s clinical trial of a CRISPR technology in patients with a rare inherited eye disorder, as well as other companies' efforts.