Emerging Use of CRISPR Technology - Chasing the Elusive HIV Cure

A new form of gene therapy termed genetic editing or gene targeting has become possible owing to advances in genetic engineering technology.(1) The intent of genetic editing is to alter the DNA code in cells with single base-pair specificity, and thus it can be considered to be an ultimate form of precision therapy. For the past two decades, genome editing has been a powerful tool for basic science research. The importance of genome editing as a research tool was recognized in 2007 by the award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Smithies, Capecchi, and Evans. Until recently, . . .