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If you're living with multiple myeloma, you may have heard about experimental treatments made using the gene-editing technology called CRISPR. While still primarily in research phases, many experts in myeloma and other cancers believe CRISPR has the potential to transform how doctors approach your care in the years to come
What Is CRISPR?
CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to DNA.
CRISPR is short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic… read more
Praying for little side effects & staying in remission for many years
I am currently being evaluated for CAR T, I will be undergoing testing and if all goes well, planning to have CAR T done the end of November/beginning of December. It’s remarkable what they can do now in terms of treatment.
Takeaway
In the near future, CRISPR technology has the potential to enhance CAR T-cell therapies using CRISPR-edited immune cells. Your provider may be able to tailor your treatment more effectively based on your genetic profile.
In the future, CRISPR technology could be used to develop targeted therapies that specifically target the genetic mutations present in multiple myeloma cells. Clinical trials continue to investigate the potential of CRISPR in improving treatments for multiple myeloma and other cancers, and researchers are optimistic that this technology may lead to more effective and personalized treatment options.
While CRISPR technology itself is not directly addressed in the search results, we can see its practical application in current myeloma treatments through CAR T-cell therapy, which uses gene editing principles to modify immune cells. In myeloma treatment, doctors collect a patient's T-cells and genetically modify them to Show Full Answer
There are already FDA-approved CAR T cell therapies for treating people with multiple myeloma who have relapsed after initial standard therapies. Dr. Simmons said he is hopeful that CRISPR can be used to make CAR T-cell therapies for myeloma more effective.
Potential Limitations and Safety Concerns About Using CRISPR
When asked about key concerns, Dr. Simmons explained that the initial concern when editing genes is that other genes could potentially be unintentionally affected. “The concern is that editing may ‘turn on’ secondary cancers,” he said.
Limitations may include:
Open questions about accuracy of gene edits made using CRISPR
Challenges in making some types of gene edits
Safety concerns include:
Risk of secondary cancers
Risk of GVHD with allogeneic therapies
"There are many other issues to consider in research and treatment with gene therapies, including the cost of these products along with the unintended consequences of these therapies," Dr. Simmons added. "A lot is unknown, but that is why more clinical trials are needed to demonstrate short-term and long-term side effects."
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