A Curative DNA Code for Hematopoietic Defects: Novel Cell Therapies for Monogenic Diseases of the Blood and Immune System.

Innovations in programmable nucleases have expanded genetic engineering capabilities, raising the possibility of a new approach to curing monogenic hematological diseases. Feasibility studies using ex vivo targeted genome-editing, and nonintegrating viral vectors show outstanding potential for correcting genetic conditions at their root cause. This article reviews the latest technological advances in the CRISPR/Cas9 system alone and combined with engineered viruses as editing tools for human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). We discuss the early phase in human trials of genome editing-based therapies for hemoglobinopathies.