Emerging CRISPR Technologies

The discovery and implementation of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR associated (Cas) systems for genome editing has revolutionized biomedical research and holds great promise for the treatment of human genetic disorders. In addition to the popular CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cpf1 systems for genome editing, several additional Class I and Class 2 CRISPR-Cas effectors have been identified and adapted for genome editing and transcriptome modulation. Here we discuss current and emerging CRISPR-based technologies such as Cascade-Cas3, CRISPR-associated transposases (CAST), CRISPR-Cas7–11, and CRISPR-Cas13 for genome and transcriptome modification. These technologies allow for the removal or insertion of large DNA elements, the modulation of gene expression at the transcriptional level, and the editing of RNA transcripts, expanding the capabilities of current technologies.