PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Boosting precision gene editing: Autophagy turns the tide on DNA repair

This first-in-the-world approach harnesses autophagy to shift DNA repair toward homologous recombination, boosting precision editing efficiency up to threefold.

2025-06-11
(Press-News.org) Precision gene editing is crucial for treating genetic diseases, as it enables targeted correction of specific mutations. A Korean research team has become the first in the world to significantly enhance the low efficiency of a key genome editing mechanism—known as homologous recombination (HR)—by inducing autophagy, a natual process whthin cells.

Dr. Hye Jin Nam’s team at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), in collaboration with Professors Dong Hyun Jo and Sangsu Bae at Seoul National University College of Medicine, found that autophagy induction via nutrient deprivation or mTOR inhibition markedly enhances the efficiency of HR-based CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing up to threefold. The technique was also successfully validated in patient-derived cells carrying genetic mutations and in live animal models, marking a major step toward applying this method in therapeutic settings.

CRISPR–Cas9 technology works by creating double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA to enable gene editing. However, most of these breaks are repaired through an error-prone process called nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), which often introduces unintended mutations. In contrast, homologous recombination (HR) is a more accurate form of DNA repair—but it occurs infrequently, making precision editing difficult. Previous efforts to enhance HR activity, such as modulating the cell cycle or inhibiting NHEJ, have been limited by toxicity and poor compatibility across diverse systems.

Suspecting that autophagy might promote the use of HR over error-prone repair pathways, the research team investigated its effect on gene editing. When autophagy was triggered—either by nutrient starvation or treatment with mTOR inhibitors—the efficiency of HR-based editing increased by 1.4 to 3.1 times across various target genes and DNA insert sizes. In contrast, cells unable to undergo autophagy showed no such improvement, highlighting autophagy’s essential role in promoting precise genome repair.

Even alternate versions of CRISPR, such as nickase Cas9 (nCas9) and dead Cas9 (dCas9), showed improved editing performance under autophagic conditions. This suggests that the strategy is widely applicable across different gene editing platforms. Further analysis revealed that autophagy enhanced the accumulation of HR-associated DNA repair proteins within the Cas9 complex, which may help direct repair activity toward more precise outcomes.

In experiments using patient-derived cells carrying mutations in the MPZL2 gene—linked to hearing loss—the method led to increased expression of the corrected gene up to three-fold. The research team also tested the approach in mouse models. When gene editing was performed in the mouse retina, autophagy induction led to about a threefold improvement in editing efficiency. This confirms that the strategy works not only in cultured cells but also in living organisms.

This study is the first to demonstrate that autophagy can enhance the accuracy of genome editing both in human cells and in animal models. The findings suggest a new path forward for gene therapies, offering a safer and more effective way to precisely rewrite faulty genetic sequences.

Dr. Nam stated, “Leveraging autophagy to enhance homologous recombination represents a breakthrough strategy to overcome key limitations in current gene editing technologies.” KRICT President Young-Kuk Lee added, “This achievement significantly improves both the efficiency and safety of genome editing and marks an important milestone in the advancement of precision therapeutics.”

This work was published in Nucleic Acids Research (IF: 16.7) in April 2025.

 

###

KRICT is a non-profit research institute funded by the Korean government. Since its foundation in 1976, KRICT has played a leading role in advancing national chemical technologies in the fields of chemistry, material science, environmental science, and chemical engineering. Now, KRICT is moving forward to become a globally leading research institute tackling the most challenging issues in the field of Chemistry and Engineering and will continue to fulfill its role in developing chemical technologies that benefit the entire world and contribute to maintaining a healthy planet. More detailed information on KRICT can be found at https://www.krict.re.kr/eng/

The study was conducted with support from KRICT’s basic research fund and the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the NST Global Top Research Program.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New model predicts risk of deep vein thrombosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

2025-06-11
CLEVELAND, Ohio (June 11, 2025)—Nomograms have a strong reputation as reliable predictive models that simplify statistical prediction models and guide personalized treatment to formulate preventive measures for various diseases. Through a new study, a nomogram was developed and validated to predict the risk of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer developing deep vein thrombosis. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Although ovarian cancer is not one of the more common types of cancer (especially compared with breast or lung cancer), it is serious. It is the fifth-leading ...

Scientists find unusual build-up of soot-like particles in lung cells of COPD patients

2025-06-11
Cells taken from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a larger accumulation of soot-like carbon deposits compared to cells taken from people who smoke but do not have COPD, according to a study published today (Wednesday) in ERJ Open Research [1]. Carbon can enter the lungs via cigarette smoke, diesel exhaust and polluted air.   The cells, called alveolar macrophages, normally protect the body by engulfing any particles or bacteria that reach the lungs. But, in their new study, researchers found that when these cells are exposed to carbon they grow larger and encourage inflammation.   The research was led by Dr James Baker and Dr Simon Lea ...

Over half of doctors surveyed would consider assisted dying if they had advanced cancer or Alzheimer’s disease

2025-06-10
When it comes to advanced cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, over half of doctors would consider assisted dying for themselves, but preferences seem to vary according to their jurisdiction’s legislation on euthanasia, reveal the results of an international survey, published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics. And most say they would prefer symptom relief rather than life sustaining treatment for their own end of life care, indicate the responses.  Previously published research suggests that doctors’ views on their own end of life care inform their clinical practice, and that their perceptions of their patients’ treatment wishes ...

Urgent need to quantify role of fungal toxins in rising liver cancer rates in Ghana

2025-06-10
There’s an urgent need to quantify the role of fungal toxins (aflatoxins), found on agricultural crops, such as maize and peanuts (groundnuts), in the escalating rates of liver cancer in Ghana, as well as elsewhere in Africa and Asia, concludes a commentary published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. Maize and peanuts are dietary staples in many Asian and African countries. And with one of the highest rates of liver cancer in Africa, at 16/100,000 of the population. Ghana represents a critical case study in furthering international ...

Once-a-week pill for schizophrenia shows promise in clinical trials

2025-06-10
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- For many patients with schizophrenia, other psychiatric illnesses, or diseases such as hypertension and asthma, it can be difficult to take their medicine every day. To help overcome that challenge, MIT researchers have developed a pill that can be taken just once a week and gradually releases medication from within the stomach. In a phase 3 clinical trial conducted by MIT spinout Lyndra Therapeutics, the researchers used the once-a-week pill to deliver a widely used medication for managing the symptoms of schizophrenia. They found that this treatment regimen maintained consistent levels of the drug in patients’ ...

Menstrual tracking app data is a ‘gold mine’ for advertisers that risks women’s safety – report

2025-06-10
Smartphone apps that track menstrual cycles are a “gold mine” for consumer profiling, collecting information on everything from exercise, diet and medication to sexual preferences, hormone levels and contraception use, according to a University of Cambridge report. A report from Cambridge’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy argues that the financial worth of this data is “vastly underestimated” by users who supply profit-driven companies with highly intimate details in a market lacking in regulation. The report’s authors caution that cycle tracking app (CTA) ...

Sensory impairment, not just memory tests, is vital for our understanding of dementia

2025-06-10
Memory problems have long been considered the primary hallmark of dementia, but a team of researchers is now challenging this view. They argue that changes in sensory perception – from vision to balance – may be equally important indicators that many healthcare providers are currently missing. According to experts, current approaches to the care and support of people with dementia need an overhaul, relying too heavily on the assessment of memory functions, when the condition also impairs taste, touch, balance, hearing, or vision. Professor Andrea Tales, Professor of Dementia ...

Intensive weight loss programme improves eating disorder symptoms in people with Type 2 Diabetes at risk of eating disorders, Oxford study finds

2025-06-10
An intensive low-energy diet programme, similar to the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission, significantly improved eating disorder symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes and excess weight who were at risk of developing eating disorders, according to a University of Oxford study published today in The Lancet Psychiatry. Participants enrolled in a total diet replacement (TDR) programme experienced significant improvements in eating disorder symptoms which persisted six months after the programme finished when participants had regained some weight. This directly addresses a research gap highlighted by recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the use of ...

Pointing to success: Marathon potential is in your hands – literally

2025-06-10
Whether it’s a personal challenge, for charity, or on your bucket list, marathons are one of the most sought-after goals for amateur and recreational runners worldwide.   Now, a world-first study from the University of South Australia and the University of North Dakota suggests that a person’s marathon potential may be identified through a simple check of their hands.   In a meta-analysis of 22 studies (representing 5293 participants and 12 countries) researchers found that a lower digit ratio – when a person’s ring finger is longer than their index finger – is a biomarker of cardiorespiratory fitness, ...

SwRI-led PUNCH mission images huge solar eruption

2025-06-10
SAN ANTONIO — June 10, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Craig DeForest discussed the latest accomplishments of NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission during a media event at the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. As the spacecraft constellation completes commissioning, early PUNCH data showed coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, as they erupted from the Sun and traveled across the inner solar system. “These preliminary movies show that PUNCH can actually track space weather across ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Fig trees convert atmospheric CO2 to stone

Intra-arterial tenecteplase for acute stroke after successful endovascular therapy

Study reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields

Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials

Climate change cuts milk production, even when farmers cool their cows

Frozen, but not sealed: Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages

Some like it cold: Cryorhodopsins

Demystifying gut bacteria with AI

Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads

Unlocking the hidden biodiversity of Europe’s villages

Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses

Planned C-sections increase the risk of certain childhood cancers

Adults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19

Drones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching

New genetic finding uncovers hidden cause of arsenic resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Native habitats hold the key to the much-loved smashed avocado’s future

Using lightning to make ammonia out of thin air

Machine learning potential-driven insights into pH-dependent CO₂ reduction

Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor

How game-play with robots can bring out their human side

Asthma: patient expectations influence the course of the disease

UNM physician tests drug that causes nerve tissue to emit light, enabling faster, safer surgery

New study identifies EMP1 as a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and poor prognosis

XPR1 identified as a key regulator of ovarian cancer growth through autophagy and immune evasion

Flexible, eco-friendly electronic plastic for wearable tech, sensors

Can the Large Hadron Collider snap string theory?

Stuckeman professor’s new book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture

Synthetic DNA nanoparticles for gene therapy

New model to find treatments for an aggressive blood cancer

Special issue of Journal of Intensive Medicine analyzes non-invasive respiratory support

[Press-News.org] Boosting precision gene editing: Autophagy turns the tide on DNA repair
This first-in-the-world approach harnesses autophagy to shift DNA repair toward homologous recombination, boosting precision editing efficiency up to threefold.