How CRISPR Gene Editing Is Moving From Labs to Hospitals

Casgevy (Vertex/CRISPR Therapeutics) became the first CRISPR-based therapy approved by FDA (Dec 2023) for sickle cell disease. The one-time treatment potentially cures a genetic disease with a single edit. Next targets: cancer (CAR-T cell engineering), HIV, hereditary blindness, and muscular dystrophy. Base editing (more precise than standard CRISPR) is in clinical trials. The cost challenge: Casgevy priced at $2.2M per treatment. Ethical debates: germline editing (heritable changes) remains controversial globally. China is investing heavily, with BGI expanding genetic editing research despite international concerns.