Hey everyone!
After some time away, I thought I should start doing quarterly summaries of recent epigenetics news — short and to the point!
April: CRISPR gets its latest upgrade
CRISPR-Cas9 complexes have been incredibly useful for editing the genome, however they tend to barge in and make edits/cuts regardless of methylation. A new modified CRISPR complex has been developed, called ThermoCas9, that can make cuts depending on the level of methylation marks at the gene of interest.
In a breast cancer cell line, ThermoCas9 edited 2 genes with abnormally low methylation. In non-cancerous cell lines where the same 2 genes are methylated normally, ThermoCas9 left them alone. This, in future, could be a new therapy that targets cancer cells in the body while leaving healthy cells intact, although it’s currently in the very early stages.
May: Switching on mouse genes with invisible electromagnetic fields
Scientists identified a genetic switch responsive to electromagnetic fields in mice. After ensuring this switch was incorporated into every cell, specific genes could then be switched on to model Alzheimer’s disease, reverse signs of aging, and even help depressed mice recover.
This method presents a less invasive1 and more precise way of studying individual genes’ effects in a variety of biological contexts.2 It was also reversible. Pretty cool.
June: New UK Biobank study launched
The UK Biobank has been collecting samples from healthy volunteers and patients for over 20 years. It’s been instrumental in helping us understand human health, from heart disease to cancer and even mental health conditions.
This month, a new study was announced which will investigate DNA methylation levels in blood samples from over 60k Biobank participants. This hopes to identify methylation-sensitive regions involved in various diseases and how they adapt over time.
Notes
- Switching genes on in mice at specific times and places usually involves consumption of a specific chemical (e.g. doxycycline) or even inserting electrodes which emit light to turn genes on (this is called optogenetics and is used in neuroscience a lot). ↩︎
- There was a really good Instagram reel by Ben Rein (here!) covering this work, which is how I heard about it initially. He makes the case that this paper, although it’s got a lot of scientific potential, also has the potential to fuel misinformation and conspiracy.
Fortunately, it’s not the case that I can hold an electromagnet above someone’s head and control their gene expression, as these mice had to be engineered to harbour the switch in their DNA first at a very early stage of development. ↩︎
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