CRISP and Cas9 and Gene Editing and HIV

Question

CRISP and Gene Editing and HIV

 

When employing CRISPR in treatment of HIV, which host DNA repair system would work better?

 

A. Either would yield the desired results

B. HDR Homology Directed Repair (HDR)

C. NHEJ (Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ)

 

Please provide an explanation to your answer choice. 

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. HDR (Homology Directed Repair).

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a gene editing tool that can be used to modify the genome of an organism. In the context of treating HIV, CRISPR can be used to disrupt or delete the genes encoding the HIV virus in order to prevent it from replicating or spreading.

There are two main DNA repair systems that can be used with CRISPR: HDR (Homology Directed Repair) and NHEJ (Non-Homologous End Joining).

HDR involves the use of a template DNA molecule that is used to repair or replace the damaged or mutated DNA. This template can be designed to specifically target and repair the HIV genome, making it a more effective option for treating HIV.

NHEJ, on the other hand, involves the direct ligation of the ends of the broken DNA molecule without the use of a template. While this process can be useful for repairing small gaps or breaks in the genome, it is less precise and can lead to the insertion or deletion of unintended mutations. This makes NHEJ a less reliable option for targeting specific genes like those encoding HIV.

Overall, HDR is the better choice for employing CRISPR in the treatment of HIV because it is more precise and allows for targeted repair of the HIV genome.