DNA edit a key finding

A BREAKTHROUGH in gene editing could help to prevent cystic fibrosis and hereditary blindness.

Thousands of diseases caused by a single “spelling mistake” in DNA could be corrected following the leap forward. These include cystic fibrosis motor neurone disease as well as hereditary deafness and blindness. All these conditions need just a single letter change in someone’s DNA to prevent them from occurring.

But until now it has been difficult to correct the mutation with gene editing tools.