CRISPR-Cas: Outstanding questions remain Comment on 'Diversity, evolution,and therapeutic applications of small RNAs in prokaryotic and eukaryotic immune systems' by Edwin L. Cooper and Nicola Overstreet

摘要

Cooper and Overstreet [1] provide a comprehensive review of immune functions of small RNA-based systems in pro- and eukaryotes. The review is largely based on a recent avalanche of data on prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas systems, a burgeoning field that has been generously-perhaps, too generously-reviewed before (see Refs. [2-9] for an incomplete list of excellent reviews). The recent realization of potential tremendous utility of CRISPR-Cas systems for genetic medicine is, of course, a most welcome development. However, in a way it may detract from very important fundamental questions about the biological role of CRISPR-Cas (restriction-modification systems have suffered a similar fate).