CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria

One of the most challenging concerns for modern medical practitioners is to deal with infections caused by the ever-increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). New antibiotics are not coming up in that pace, as their development is a tedious and time-consuming process with limited econ...

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Main Authors: Arka Moitra, Abhinaba Chakraborty, Bomba Dam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:The Microbe
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194624001511
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author Arka Moitra
Abhinaba Chakraborty
Bomba Dam
author_facet Arka Moitra
Abhinaba Chakraborty
Bomba Dam
author_sort Arka Moitra
collection DOAJ
description One of the most challenging concerns for modern medical practitioners is to deal with infections caused by the ever-increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). New antibiotics are not coming up in that pace, as their development is a tedious and time-consuming process with limited economic benefits for pharma companies. Among the various strategies tested to combat ARB, CRISPR-Cas9-based therapy is the most novel and foolproof. The CRISPR-Cas9 system is a recently discovered indigenous defense mechanism, identified in most archaeal and bacterial members that immunize and protect the cell against a second invasion from bacteriophage or plasmid DNA attack. These prokaryotic members, using an endogenous Cas9 protein guided by a unique short RNA sequence (∼20 nts) processed from earlier foreign DNA encounters, targets and destroys the invasive DNA. The CRISPR-Cas9 system has the potential and flexibility to be used as a gene-editing tool to modify antibiotic resistant or exclusive house-keeping genes on plasmids or genomes of specific pathogens, thereby resensitizing them to the antibiotics or even killing them. As the system is highly specific in its action, it can even target specific pathogenic bacteria in the infection site without harming the entire microbial population. This review first highlights the potential threats of ARB, particularly those in the priority list, and then elucidates how RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9-based therapy can be used to fight them, covering most of the technicalities involved in the process.
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series The Microbe
spelling doaj-art-5356318e81754a01a421ffa5972aa9422024-12-18T08:55:43ZengElsevierThe Microbe2950-19462024-12-015100184CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteriaArka Moitra0Abhinaba Chakraborty1Bomba Dam2Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati (A central university), Santiniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal I731235, IndiaMicrobiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati (A central university), Santiniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal I731235, IndiaCorrespondence to: Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati (A central university), Santiniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal 731235, India.; Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati (A central university), Santiniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal I731235, IndiaOne of the most challenging concerns for modern medical practitioners is to deal with infections caused by the ever-increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). New antibiotics are not coming up in that pace, as their development is a tedious and time-consuming process with limited economic benefits for pharma companies. Among the various strategies tested to combat ARB, CRISPR-Cas9-based therapy is the most novel and foolproof. The CRISPR-Cas9 system is a recently discovered indigenous defense mechanism, identified in most archaeal and bacterial members that immunize and protect the cell against a second invasion from bacteriophage or plasmid DNA attack. These prokaryotic members, using an endogenous Cas9 protein guided by a unique short RNA sequence (∼20 nts) processed from earlier foreign DNA encounters, targets and destroys the invasive DNA. The CRISPR-Cas9 system has the potential and flexibility to be used as a gene-editing tool to modify antibiotic resistant or exclusive house-keeping genes on plasmids or genomes of specific pathogens, thereby resensitizing them to the antibiotics or even killing them. As the system is highly specific in its action, it can even target specific pathogenic bacteria in the infection site without harming the entire microbial population. This review first highlights the potential threats of ARB, particularly those in the priority list, and then elucidates how RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9-based therapy can be used to fight them, covering most of the technicalities involved in the process.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194624001511CRISPR-Cas9Antibiotic resistant bacteriaGene therapyBacterial immunity
spellingShingle Arka Moitra
Abhinaba Chakraborty
Bomba Dam
CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
The Microbe
CRISPR-Cas9
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Gene therapy
Bacterial immunity
title CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
title_full CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
title_fullStr CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
title_full_unstemmed CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
title_short CRISPR-Cas9 system: A potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
title_sort crispr cas9 system a potent tool to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria
topic CRISPR-Cas9
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Gene therapy
Bacterial immunity
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194624001511
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AT abhinabachakraborty crisprcas9systemapotenttooltofightantibioticresistanceinbacteria
AT bombadam crisprcas9systemapotenttooltofightantibioticresistanceinbacteria