Mice created using human chromosomes
Scientists claim to have developed genetically-engineered mice with artificial human chromosomes in every cell of their bodies, paving way for potential correction of gene deficiency in humans.
Researchers used chemical building blocks rather than chipping away at an existing human chromosome to create the human artificial chromosome in the laboratory, emphasising the increasingly powerful technology behind gene therapy.
The development is a part of a series of studies showing that it may be possible to treat genetic diseases with a radically new form of gene therapy, the Independent reported.
Researchers said the purpose of developing the human artificial chromosome project is to create a shuttle vector for gene delivery into human cells to study gene function in human cells. It is the first time such an advanced form of a synthetic human chromosome made “from scratch” has been shown to work in an animal model, said Natalay Kouprina of the US National Cancer Institute in Maryland.
“Potentially it has applications for gene therapy, for correction of gene deficiency in humans. It is known that there are lots of hereditary diseases due to the mutation of certain genes,” she said.
Synthetic biology is loosely defined as designing new kinds of life-forms or making new genetic arrangements that do not exist in nature, which could provide practical benefits to society, notably in medicine, manufacturing or environmental monitoring.
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