Klin Onkol 2017; 30(S2): 68-74. DOI: 10.14735/amko20172S68.
In the recent years, there was a remarkable advance in research and clinical implementation of the genome editing technologies. The most remarkable was a discovery of the bacterial adaptive immune system called CRISPR and its rapid transformation into a robust and broadly applicable technology that completely revolutionized both basic and applied biomedical research. Implementation of CRISPR makes genome modification easier, faster and significantly cheaper compare to any other currently available technology. It also offers a tremendous potential for desiging novel research approaches and future treatment options for various genetic diseases including multiple myeloma. The hightroughput use of CRISPR in pooled screen formats promises faster identification and validation of valuable drug targets together with revealing high-confidence biomarkers and unknown resistance mechanisms. This can provide clinicians with new diagnostic and prognostic tolls and ultimately allow more accurate patient stratification for personalised treatment with better eficacy. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the CRISPR technology and focus especially on its impact in exploring gene functions, screening for novel drug targets, diagnostic markers and genes involved in resistance to commonly used drug in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Finally, we also highlight a potential future use of CRISPR in actual clinical practise.
