Some experts believe that gene editing using CRISPR technologies could be medical science’s next big breakthrough—an advancement that allows the human race to smash through the longevity ceiling imposed by heart disease, and maybe also other common killers. One day, hopefully, “CRISPR technology could be used to treat many conditions, for example neurological disease, cancers, and cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Qiaobing Xu, a gene-editing researcher and professor of biomedical engineering at Tufts University.
Perhaps the most tantalizing of these applications involves lowering cholesterol, specifically the “bad” kind: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. “While cholesterol is an essential molecule for myriad biological processes, if blood levels of LDL cholesterol get too high, the cholesterol can accumulate on the walls of the arteries, forming congestive deposits known as plaques,” Shapiro says. These plaques directly cause or contribute to many forms of cardiovascular disease. “Managing cholesterol is a huge part of my job as a cardiologist focused on prevention.”
While a poor diet, stress, lack of exercise, and other lifestyle factors can lead to cholesterol problems, genetic factors also play a role. Some genes that regulate blood levels of LDL cholesterol appear to be good targets for CRISPR gene-editing technologies. Already, research in non-human primates has found that editing cholesterol genes appears to be both safe and effective for the mitigation of cardiovascular disease. And, earlier this year, the first human underwent gene editing for the treatment of high cholesterol.
