Harnessing the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 to advance the study of human fungal pathogens

ABSTRACT

Introduction: CRISPR-Cas9 has emerged as an important new tool for genetic engineering. While much has been written about the potential of this technology to treat human disease, relatively little has attention has been paid to the ways in which it might further the study of human fungal pathogens.

Areas covered: In this paper, the authors review what is known about the role of CRISPR-Cas9 in the study of invasive mycoses, including species of Candida, Cryptococcus, and Aspergillus, and explore how this platform might be used to identify novel drug targets.

Expert commentary: The authors investigate the ways CRISPR might be utilized to modify human diseases that predispose patients to invasive fungal infections, including human immunodeficiency virus, chronic granulomatous disease, and CARD9 deficiency, and highlight the substantial controversy regarding its application in clinical practice.

KEYWORDS:

• CRISPR
• Cas9
• gene editing
• epigenetic
• Candida
• Aspergillus
• Cryptococcus

Declaration of interest

MW McCarthy has served as a paid consultant for Allergan. TJ Walsh receives research grants for experimental and clinical antimicrobial pharmacotherapeutics from Astellas, Cubist, Theravance, the Medicines Company, Allergan, Novartis, Merck and Pfizer. He has served as a consultant to Astellas, Actavis, ContraFect, Drais, iCo, Novartis, Pfizer, Methylgene, SigmaTau and Trius. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.