Gene editing and clones | 60 Minutes Full Episodes

Students at Lambert High School developed a CRISPR-based method for earlier and more accurate detection of Lyme disease. Their technique targets a protein generated by the infection, using CRISPR to snip away extraneous genetic material and expose the protein for a simple kit-style test. This method detected Lyme as early as 2 days post-infection, significantly faster than existing 2-week tests. They also developed software to model CRISPR's use for treating the disease by targeting the causative bacteria.

Lambert High School students Shaun Lee and Avan Caric describe their project for the iGEM competition, explaining how their novel CRISPR method detects and potentially treats Lyme disease. Stanford professor Drew Endy notes it could be a 'major scientific breakthrough.'

CRISPR technology allows scientists to easily edit DNA, offering the possibility of curing genetic diseases by correcting faulty genes. Feng Zhang, a CRISPR pioneer at MIT, explains that the technology can be programmed to find specific 'typos' in DNA and either cut out the bad part or insert a desired sequence. This 'Swiss Army knife' approach holds promise for treating over 6,000 diseases caused by faulty genes, including Huntington's, sickle cell, ALS, and hemophilia.

Feng Zhang demonstrates a vial containing CRISPR, stating it's 'revolutionizing science and biomedicine.' Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute, explains how bacteria's natural defense mechanism was adapted to edit human cells, targeting specific DNA sequences.

Shukrat Matalapov's team at Oregon Health and Science University successfully used CRISPR to correct a single genetic mutation causing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a deadly heart disease, in human embryos. By co-injecting sperm (from a carrier) and CRISPR into donor eggs during fertilization, they achieved a 72% success rate in preventing the mutation, compared to the normal 50%. This research, while not leading to implantation, demonstrates the potential to eliminate heritable diseases at the earliest stages of life.

Matalapov details the procedure of injecting CRISPR alongside sperm into an egg, stating, 'you have changed the genetic destiny of that embryo.' He reports 72% of treated embryos were free of the mutation.

Harvard geneticist George Church's lab is pursuing multiple transformative projects: reversing aging, making humans immune to all viruses, and de-extincting woolly mammoths. Age reversal has shown success in animals, improving organ function, and is now in clinical trials for dogs. Universal virus immunity is being developed by altering the genetic code of cells so viruses cannot recognize or replicate within them. De-extinction involves editing woolly mammoth genes into elephant DNA.

Church states, 'aging reversal is something that's been proven about eight different ways in animals.' He describes the strategy to make cells 'resistant to all viruses' and Ariana's work on 'de-extinction' of mammoths.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong proposes a radical shift in cancer treatment: classifying and treating cancer based on its specific genetic mutations, rather than its anatomical location (e.g., breast cancer vs. lung cancer). He has invested nearly a billion dollars to build an infrastructure for high-speed tumor genome sequencing and analysis, aiming to identify every genetic mutation driving a patient's cancer within a day. This personalized approach seeks to find the 'perfect drug' for each patient, potentially turning cancer into a chronic, treatable disease.

Soon-Shiong explains, 'you need to treat that patient based on mutation not on its physical anatomical location.' He describes the goal of a 'world's first browser of the cancer genome' on a mobile device.

Interspecies cloning, pioneered by Dr. Betsy Dresser, involves implanting DNA from an endangered species into the egg of a non-endangered relative to act as a surrogate. This technique successfully produced African wild cats from domestic cat surrogates, demonstrating its potential for preventing extinction. Similarly, champion polo player Adolfo Cambiaso has utilized cloning to replicate his best horses, such as 'Quartetera,' creating multiple genetically identical animals to maintain his competitive edge and breeding line.

Dr. Dresser's team demonstrates removing domestic cat DNA and inserting Arabian sand cat DNA into an egg, stating, 'if I have to choose cloning or extinction, I'm going to choose cloning.' Adolfo Cambiaso describes cloning his horse 'Aken Kura' and 'Quartetera,' now having 14 clones of the latter.