Scientists Cure Down Syndrome With Gene Editing In Groundbreaking First

Scientists in Japan have used gene-editing technology to remove the extra chromosome responsible for Down syndrome, at least in lab-grown human cells. 

The project, led by Dr. Ryotaro Hashizume of Mie University, used CRISPR-Cas9 to target the trisomy 21 chromosome, the root cause of Down syndrome, which affects 1 in every 700 births.

Removing the extra chromosome altered cell behavior dramatically