Somatic Cell Genome Editing support is aimed at improving therapeutic options for both rare and common diseases.
Making changes to a patients DNA can have powerful implications for the treatment of disease. To tap into this immense potential, NIH recently awarded 21 Somatic Cell Genome Editing grants(link is external) — totaling approximately $86 million over the next five years, pending available funds — to support research aimed at improving methods to edit the human genome. These grants are the first to be awarded through the Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) program, which was launched in January 2018 with NIH Common Fund(link is external)support. As a trans-NIH endeavor, SCGE is managed by staff from multiple NIH Institutes and Centers, with leadership from NCATS.
A genome is an individual’s complete set of DNA, the chemicals that carry genetic information. Many diseases are caused by DNA changes that can be inherited from parents or can happen during a person’s lifetime. In the past decade, scientists have developed techniques to edit DNA in living cells. The newly awarded grants focus on somatic cells, which are cells in the body other than reproductive — e.g. sperm and egg — cells. One concern about manipulating genetic material has been the possibility of passing on unintended and potentially harmful genetic mutations. But because somatic cells do not pass DNA to the next generation, genome editing changes in somatic cells cannot be inherited.
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