If bacteria gave us a tool for bio engineering, have viruses given us a delivery mechanism?

post by jmh · 2020-05-20T22:31:08.099Z · LW · GW · No comments

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If so what is the name for that technology and what would be the right search terms to find the literature?

From bacteria we got CRISPR.

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answer by kjz · 2020-05-20T23:16:04.468Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Yes they have! Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) have been used to deliver gene therapies, with one prominent example being Zolgensma, a treatment for a rare genetic disease called spinal muscular atrophy.

↑ comment by jmh · 2020-05-21T14:29:38.647Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Thanks. Interesting. Seems that the term I want is "viral vector".

Clearly some bugs still to work out (bad pun, sorry) but seems like a very promising approach though I think eventually the fix should be something that is also present in off-spring (which currently is probably illegal so and will change the risk assessment needed)

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↑ comment by kjz · 2020-05-21T23:05:39.324Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Yup, viral vector is the more general term. And you're right, heritable modifications are much more controversial, which is why the Crispr babies got so much attention a little while back.

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