French microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier, US molecular biologist Jennifer Doudna and US biological engineer Zhang Feng (張鋒) yesterday won the Tang Prize in biopharmaceutical science for the development of a breakthrough genome editing platform with the potential to revolutionize disease treatment.
The three contributed to the development of a genome editing system known as CRISPR/Cas9 — clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9 — and they are to share a cash prize of NT$40 million (US$1.24 million) and a research grant of NT$10 million, Nobel laureate Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), who chairs the Tang Prize Selection Committee, told a news conference in Taipei.
First discovered in bacteria in the 1980s, the CRISPR system was later identified as a bacterial defense mechanism against viruses and foreign DNA.
The system helps the bacterial genome “memorize” viral DNA to recognize and defend against bacteriophages, while nucleases encoded with CRISPR-associated genes would be responsible for “cutting” the virus.
The three scientists have applied the system to genome engineering to cut any desired gene.
Charpentier first identified two strands of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that could guide the Cas9 nuclease to target genes, and later worked with Doudna to fuse those two strands into a single programmable guide RNA to be delivered into a cell, allowing the cell’s genome to be cut at any desired location, Academia Sinica research fellow Kung Hsing-jien (龔行健) said.
“If we have to single out just one of Charpentier’s many contributions, it is the original discovery of the ‘GPS system’ for Cas9, which can be used to cut existing genes or add new genes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zhang, who was working independently, reported the first successful implementation of Cas9-based genome editing in mammal and human cells.
The system’s potential medical applications include repairing defective genes that cause hereditary diseases and fixing mutated genes that cause cancer development, Kung said.
“It has always been the dream of scientists to someday effectively edit the human genome for medical purposes, and because of the brilliant work by the recipients of this year’s Tang Prize, that someday is today,” Kung said.
Hundreds of research facilities worldwide have implemented the CRISPR/Cas9 system in experiments with different animal and plant species, Kung said, adding that some regard it to be one of the greatest advances in genomics since the development of cloning and polymerase chain reaction.
“There are several genome editing techniques, but CRISPR/Cas9 is much more precise and efficient than the others,” Kung said.
“It used to take more than a year to develop genetic edits for mice, but CRISPR reduces development time to a few weeks with an 80 percent success rate,” he added.
“Defective genes that play a critical part in cancer development are usually found in a tiny ‘hot spot.’ Although it is possible to remove the hot spot, doctors and scientists lacked the necessary tools to do so,” Taipei Medical University president Yen Yun (閻雲) said.
“What these three scientists have given us is a pair of scissors, a spotlight and a GPS system to significantly improve [future cancer treatments],” Yen added.
Lee said the system could also be used to edit out corn genes responsible for growing starch that cannot be digested by humans.
The Tang Prize was established in 2012 by entrepreneur Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) to honor the top researchers and leaders in sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, sinology and rule of law. The first prizes were awarded in 2014. The winners of this year’s sinology prize and law prize are to be announced today and tomorrow respectively.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS