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CRISPR Beats Superbug: Gene Therapy Success
12 Aug
Summary
- Investigational CRISPR gene therapy successfully treated multidrug-resistant E. coli.
- A kidney transplant patient experienced significant improvement post-treatment.
- The therapy reduced a bacterial mass by 89% within a year.
A groundbreaking case report details the successful treatment of a 65-year-old kidney transplant patient suffering from multidrug-resistant E. coli malakoplakia. Conventional antibiotics proved ineffective against the rare disease characterized by intracellular bacterial persistence.
Investigators at the University of California San Diego administered SNIPR001, an investigational CRISPR gene therapy, alongside standard treatments. Within four weeks, the patient's abdominal lesions healed, and imaging showed a substantial reduction in an intra-abdominal mass.
By the one-year mark, the mass had decreased by 89%, highlighting the therapy's efficacy. Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases on August 11, this case provides valuable insight into SNIPR001's potential beyond infection prevention.
SNIPR001 is a CRISPR-armed phage therapeutic being developed for E. coli bloodstream infections and active E. coli infections. The technology is part of a growing field of CRISPR gene editing aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance, with other companies also exploring similar approaches.
