Nov. 21 Preclinical Quick Takes: Excision applies CRISPR editing to herpes, John Cunningham viruses; plus Caribou, Oligomerix, Kymab and Gladstone-Boston Univer

Excision targets CRISPR to herpes, JC viruses
Excision BioTherapeutics Inc. and collaborators at Temple University presented a pair of posters at the International Symposium on NeuroVirology meeting in Atlanta showing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing could treat herpes simplex virus (HSV) and John Cunningham (JC) virus infections. Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors delivering CRISPR components, including guide RNAs targeting multiple JC virus or HSV-1 genes, suppressed JC virus replication and HSV-1 infection in cell culture. They also reduced lesions associated with HSV-1 in mice. The company expects to enter the clinic next year with its CRISPR-based HIV therapy (see "What Excision Needs to Demonstrate Before Bringing CRISPR-HIV Therapy to Clinic").

Caribou’s Type I CRISPR gene editing tool
Gene editing company Caribou Biosciences Inc. is exploring a new Type I CRISPR system that it may use to create allogeneic immuno-oncology cell therapies. In a Nature Biotechnology paper, the company reported modifiying the multiprotein Cascade-Cas3 system that naturally degrades large segments of DNA to make precise edits by replacing Cas3 with a FokI nuclease. The FokI-Cascade system had editing efficiencies up to 50% in human cell lines. ...