Genetic engineering technology Crispr, which aims to eliminate cancer cells, have got approval from the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee to carry out tests on humans, reported Bloomberg. University of Pennsylvania scientists plan to conduct trials on 18 patients, however, the experiment is yet to get a nod from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States.
The tool helps scientists tweak genes in any living being with remarkable accuracy. Using Crispr, scientists will try to target specific cells that are responsible for cancers like myeloma, sarcoma, and melanoma in patients by next year. During the experiment, T-cells – a type of lymphocyte, and white blood cell sub-type, central to immune responses – of the patients will be changed in their blood samples, which will then be infused back into them. Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, started by Napster founder Sean Parker, is funding the experiment.
