UNSW researchers have used CRISPR gene editing — a type of ‘molecular scissors’ — to understand how deletions in one area of the genome can affect the expression of nearby genes. The work, led by UNSW Associate Professor Kate Quinlan and Professor Merlin Crossley, together with collaborators from the US, will help researchers investigate new therapeutic approaches for one of the world’s most devastating genetic blood disorders — sickle cell disease.
Asymptomatic sickle cell disease patients actually lack a tiny part of the genome, scientists have shown.
