The future of medicine is looking brighter than ever with the recent approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the first clinical trial of CRISPR gene editing in human patients. The FDA has given Intellia Therapeutics the go-ahead to begin testing a drug that uses CRISPR gene editing in vivo.

In biology, in vivo means within an organism, rather than in something like a petri dish, and Intellia’s offering is the first time ever that the FDA has approved such testing. Their drug would prevent swelling attacks in people with a genetic condition called hereditary angioedema.

The clinical trial will use CRISPR to modify T cells, a type of immune cell that plays a critical role in fighting cancer. The study will enroll patients with multiple myeloma, sarcoma, and melanoma, three types of cancer that have proven difficult to treat using existing therapies. The hope is that by editing the T cells, the patients' immune systems will become better equipped to recognize and attack cancer cells.

CRISPR gene editing works by using a special enzyme that can precisely cut DNA at specific locations, allowing researchers to add, delete, or replace specific genes. This type of precision editing has significant potential in treating genetic disorders and diseases, and has already been used to successfully treat sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia in clinical trials.

While the use of CRISPR gene editing in human patients is still in its early stages, the FDA's approval of this clinical trial is a significant milestone in the development of this technology. It represents a major step forward in the fight against cancer and other genetic diseases and offers hope for millions of patients around the world.