T cell engineering breakthrough sidesteps need for viruses in gene-editing
(PHYSorg.com Biology)

In an achievement that has significant implications for research, medicine, and industry, UC San Francisco scientists have genetically reprogrammed the human immune cells known as T cells without using viruses to insert DNA. The researchers said they expect their technique-a rapid, versatile, and economical approach employing CRISPR gene-editing technology-to be widely adopted in the burgeoning field of cell therapy, accelerating the development of new and safer treatments for cancer, autoimmunity, and other diseases, including rare inherited disorders.