MilliporeSigma Develops New CRISPR Technology

On May 17, 2017 MilliporeSigma announced that it has developed a new CRISPR genome-editing tool. This new technique, called proxy-CRISPR, provides access to previously unreachable areas of the genome. Most natural CRISPR systems, found in bacteria, cannot work in human cells without significant re-engineering. Proxy-CRISPR increases their usability without the need to re-engineer native CRISPR proteins, the company noted in a press release. According to MilliporeSigma, the company has filed several patent applications on the proxy-CRISPR technology.

MilliporeSigma's research on proxy-CRISPR, Targeted Activation of Diverse CRISPR-Cas Systems for Mammalian Genome Editing via Proximal CRISPR Targeting, was published in the April 7, 2017 edition of Nature Communications. The article explains how to make CRISPR more efficient, flexible, and specific by opening the genome for the cutting of DNA, giving researchers more editing options.

The new technology is an addition to MilliporeSigma's existing CRISPR applications. The company's next suite of genome editing tools for the research community, to be launched later in 2017, will include novel and modified versions of Cas and Cas-like proteins.