New route to cancer models

摘要

Genome-editing tools exploiting the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas9 system have been used in many organisms, including mouse and human cells. Here Tyler Jacks and colleagues demonstrate the feasibility of using the CRISPR/Cas system in vivo to induce direct mutation of tumour-suppressor genes and oncogenes in mouse liver. Cancer genes are conventionally studied using genetically-engineered mouse models through embryonic stem cell targeting; this work highlights the power of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for rapid genome editing and the development of novel cancer models as well as for functional genomics studies.