MIT Researchers Improve Precision of Gene Editing

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a more accurate version of prime editing by modifying the proteins involved in the process. The significant reduction in error rate raises hope for safer and more effective gene therapy treatments for a variety of diseases.

Building on a 2023 study, the MIT team identified mutations that reduced error rates to 1/20th of their original value and created a Cas9 editor that cut errors to just 1/36th of the previous rate. The team further boosted the accuracy by integrating the new Cas9 proteins into a prime editing system with an RNA-binding protein that stabilizes RNA templates more efficiently.

According to the MIT Institute Professor Emeritus Phillip Sharp, the paper shows a new approach to a more precise way to edit the genome with fewer unwanted mutations. The new system, called vPE, reduced error rates from one error in seven edits to one error in 101 for the most-used editing mode and from one error in 122 edits to one error in 543 for a high-precision mode.

For more information, read the article from MIT.