CRISPR-Cas9, revered as a breakthrough in science, is quickly proving to be the frontrunner of gene editing and has generated much excitement in the scientific community due to its efficiency, accuracy, cost and speed. It has emerged as a powerful tool for genome engineering in diverse organisms, as well as for developing therapeutics for genetic and infectious diseases. As T cells play a critical role in orchestrating cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity, T cell gene editing offers promise to treat such diseases as HIV and cancer, as well as autoimmune diseases. Moreover, the process may help to understand how diseases form and respond to treatment, as well as new methods for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
