A team of University of Nebraska Medical Center scientists are working on a project that could lead to a cancer breakthrough. The group is using a gene editing technology on mice, a technique that is featured in the July edition of Nature Magazine.
Dr. Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy is one of three scientists working on the project and tells 6 News the technology is promising. "Right now, it's a proof of principle. It can be developed into a cancer cure down the line."
Gurumurthy says the tests on the mice have been very successful. "Yeah, it definitely cured cancer in mice. It is human cancer put into a mouse and cured using human T-cells. This is very close to curing cancer, I would say."
Most of the 20,000 genes in a mouse are similar to those in humans. By using a technique called "Easi-CRISPR," the scientists can cut and paste specific parts of the DNA of T-cells and turn them into super hero infection fighters.
The discovery could lead to all sorts of treatments for cancer as well as other disease and rare disorders. Major advancements are expected in the next two to three years.