Revolutionary CRISPR treatment could be much-awaited ‘miracle cure’ for COVID-19

A team of researchers in Australia were able to prevent spread of coronavirus in human cells using the CRISPR technology in a lab experiment. With the success documented, the researchers are now aiming to develop the treatment into an oral drug that could stop transmission in people.

Sharon Lewin, lead author of the research told AFP, “This approach — test and treat — would only be feasible if we have a cheap, oral, and non-toxic antiviral. That’s what we hope to achieve one day with this gene scissors approach.”

What is CRISPR and how it acts on COVID-19?

CRISPR is a gene editing tool. It evolved in bacteria as an antivirus mechanism. The tool is responsible for searching and destroying viral genes. This means it can effectively recognize and destroy infected cells, in the case of COVID-19.

The study was published in the Nature journal under the title "Reprogrammed CRISPR-Cas13b suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication and circumvents its mutational escape through mismatch tolerance." As per the paper, the Australian researchers have demonstrated how CRISPR can be programmed to bind itself to specific parts of the COVID-19 genome and then degrade the virus cells, in effect cutting off its transmission from infected cells to non-infected cells in a human body. 

“Once the virus is recognized, the CRISPR enzyme is activated and chops up the virus,” continued lead author Lewin, “We targeted several parts of the virus — parts that are very stable and don’t change and parts that are highly changeable — and all worked very well in chopping up the virus.”

The treatment has reportedly also found to have been effective on new variants of concern including the Alpha variant which emerged in the UK.

However, widespread availability of such a drug could take years. But with the coronavirus rapidly mutation and showing signs of continuing to disrupt the world for years to come, the research team believes the CRISPR drug creation is a project worth pursuing. Moreover, the technology could also prove effective for other viral infections apart from COVID-19.

As per Mohamed Fareh, co-author of the study, “Unlike conventional antiviral drugs, the power of this tool lies in its design-flexibility and adaptability, which make it a suitable drug against a multitude of pathogenic viruses, including influenza, Ebola, and possibly HIV.”

Why this could be the miracle COVID-19 cure?

While vaccines have proven effective in curbing the spread and severity of COVID-19 infections, there aren’t enough treatments to cure a patient. Monoclonal antibody treatment ranks high up but its administration is restricted to intravenous and thus they are only used in hospitalization cases. Furthermore, the treatment may also become less effective as new variants emerge.

An oral drug which can be given to a patient as soon as they are diagnosed COVID-19 positive is what would be needed to contain severe cases. As per the researchers in Australia, the CRISPR treatment has the potential to be available in such a form.