Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania devised a breakthrough technique for creating HACs from designer DNA, sidestepping issues with DNA constructs.
Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) could revolutionize gene therapies and lab research, but technical hurdles persist.
This advancement promises faster and more precise HAC creation, potentially accelerating DNA research and improving cell therapies for diseases like cancer. The method also ensures that HACs can coexist with natural chromosomes without needing alterations.
While artificial chromosome technology has advanced in simpler organisms, human chromosomes present unique challenges due to their size and complexity.
The Penn Medicine researchers developed improved HACs with larger DNA constructs and complex centromeres, enabling more efficient formation of single-copy HACs.
By utilizing a yeast-cell-based delivery system, they bypassed issues with multimerization, leading to more viable HACs that can reproduce during cell division.
Artificial chromosomes offer numerous advantages over virus-based gene delivery systems, potentially providing safer and more effective platforms for expressing therapeutic genes.
The expression of large gene ensembles to construct complex protein machines.
This breakthrough could extend beyond human cells, with potential applications in other organisms like plants for agricultural purposes.
