Zinc-finger proteins turn T-cells HIV-resistant

Darkfrog submitted, created time 6 months 6 days (www.nature.com)

ZInc-finger proteins occur naturally in human cells and regulate gene activity. Researchers out of California's Sangamo Biosciences have figured out how to use these proteins to disrupt and disable specific genes. The kicker? When the gene in question is CCR5, human T-cells suddenly become resistant to infection with HIV.

At this point, any practical treatment would involve removing (or growing) the patient's own T-cells, treating them with zinc finger proteins, and then re0injecting the patient. Cumbersome, but possible

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Targeted gene knockout in mammalian cells by using engineered zinc-finger nucleases

davidd submitted, created time 8 months 2 weeks (www.pnas.org)

Gene knockout is the most powerful tool for determining gene function or permanently modifying the phenotypic characteristics of a cell. Existing methods for gene disruption are limited by their efficiency, time to completion, and/or the potential for confounding off-target effects. Here, they demonstrate a rapid single-step approach to targeted gene knockout in mammalian cells, using engineered zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs).

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