Dmitry Kostushev, 8 of the Laboratory of Genetic Technologies for Drug Development at Sechenov University, explained that the team has developed a new, non-viral treatment delivery system based on biodegradable nanoparticles. He added that the scientists have, for the first time, successfully encapsulated CRISPR/Cas compounds with an efficiency of approximately 80% .
Kostushev noted that each nanoparticle contains 200 to 250 copies of antiviral compounds, enough to eliminate all copies of the viral genome from an infected cell. He added that the team modified the surface of the nanoparticles so they could be specifically delivered to cells susceptible to infection, and the study showed that the particles penetrated 90 to 95% of infected cells.
The scientist confirms that this drug is characterized by its short duration of stay in the body, as it leaves no trace in the liver after only 20 to 24 hours .
He added that CRISPR/Cas compounds can be repurposed for other purposes, such as gene editing, epigenomics, or altering the nucleotide sequence in DNA or RNA.
Kostushev explained that these delivery systems are general-purpose and can be used to transport any "payload" to the target organ, whether it be anti-tumor molecules or gene-editing agents. He indicated that potential applications include correcting mutations, destroying tumors, and suppressing infections, depending on the specific task.
