CRISPR Base Editing and Prime Editing

Base editing changes a single DNA letter without cutting the double helix, reducing off-target effects by 90 percent. Prime editing functions like find-and-replace for the genome. In 2023 the BEACON trial for sickle cell disease showed 94 percent of patients producing healthy hemoglobin levels at 12 months. The FDA approved the first CRISPR-based therapy Casgevy for sickle cell in December 2023.