July 10, 2014

No extra mutations in modified stem cells, study finds


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New results ease previous concerns that gene-editing techniques—used to develop therapies for genetic diseases—could add unwanted mutations to stem cells.

The ability to switch out one gene for another in a line of living stem cells has only crossed from science fiction to reality within this decade. As with any new technology, it brings with it both promise—the hope of fixing disease-causing genes in humans, for example—as well as questions and safety concerns. Now, Salk scientists have put one of those concerns to rest: using gene-editing techniques on stem cells doesn't increase the overall occurrence of mutations in the cells.