How CRISPR shapes the future of disease diagnosis and treatment

Dr. Tamara Sunbul of Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare discussed the promising potential of gene editing in healthcare during her keynote session, emphasizing the importance of collecting genetic data over time for precision medicine. She highlighted the variability in patient responses to medications and the need for digital technologies like gene editing to detect abnormalities.

Dr. Sunbul highlighted CRISPR-Cas9 as a cutting-edge gene editing tool with applications in digital diagnostics and therapeutics. She mentioned its use in rapid disease detection methods like SHERLOCK and DETECTR, as well as its integration into drug discovery processes by companies such as Atomwise, Deep Genomics, and Valo.

Furthermore, gene editing has shown significant progress in advancing treatments for various conditions, including blood disorders, Down syndrome, hereditary blindness, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and more. CRISPR has enabled the reprogramming of patients' immune systems to target cancer, infections, and chronic diseases.

However, Dr. Sunbul also cautioned about the ethical, legal, and scientific complexities associated with gene editing. She stressed the potential risks and irreversible consequences, emphasizing that decisions made today will impact future generations.