Cancer continues to challenge scientists and doctors around the world, partly because every tumor is unique and doesn’t always respond well to one-size-fits-all treatments. But a new wave of personalized medicine, called precision oncology, is changing that. Researchers such as Prof. Diana Jaalouk and her colleagues at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon are investigating two exciting tools, CRISPR-Cas9 and PROTACs, that are giving doctors more accurate ways to treat cancer with fewer side effects. Read More
One way to think of CRISPR-Cas9 is as molecular scissors. It can cut and change DNA in very precise ways. Originally found in bacteria, this tool now helps scientists target cancer-related genes. For instance, CRISPR can disable genes that drive tumor growth or boost the ones that help suppress cancer. It’s also helping in immunotherapy by reprogramming immune cells to better find and destroy cancer. Early trials in lung cancer patients have shown that CRISPR can be used safely, and researchers are hopeful it could power up the body’s natural defenses even more in the future.
While CRISPR works on DNA, PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (or PROTACs for short) go after proteins, the workhorses of the cell. Cancer often hijacks certain proteins to grow and spread. PROTACs are like a cleanup crew: they tag these faulty proteins so the body can break them down and get rid of them. What’s exciting is that PROTACs can target proteins that traditional drugs can’t reach. One example, called dBET1, successfully shrank tumors in lab studies by destroying a protein linked to leukemia, all with fewer side effects.
Even better, CRISPR and PROTACs could work together. CRISPR handles the DNA side, while PROTACs clean up any harmful proteins that remain. This combo could be a game-changer for tough-to-treat cancers.
Of course, these tools aren’t perfect yet. Scientists are working to make CRISPR and PROTACs even more accurate and to safely deliver them to cancer cells without triggering the immune system. Tools such as nanoparticles and engineered viruses are being tested to help.
Researchers such as Prof. Diana Jaalouk at the American University of Beirut are leading the way, showing that these technologies could make cancer treatments smarter, safer, and more personal. If progress continues, turning cancer into a manageable condition, or even curing it, might not be science fiction for much longer.
