Science Runs and the Debate Brakes: Somatic Gene-Editing as a New Tool for Gender-Specific Medicine in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

<jats:p>Gender-specific medicine is a discipline that studies the influence of sex and gender on physiology, pathophysiology, and diseases. One example in light of how a genetic-based disease among other diseases, that impact on sex, can be represented by the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The question that comes into focus is whether gene-editing can represent a new line of investigation to be explored in the development of personalized, gender-specific medicine that guarantees gender equity in health policies. This article aims to discuss the relevance of adopting a gender-specific focus on gene-editing research, considered as a way of contributing to the advance of medicine’s understanding, treatment, and prevention of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. The development or improvement of cures could take advantage of the knowledge of the gender diversity in order to ascertain and develop differential interventions also at the genetic level between women and men, and this deserves special attention and deep ethical reflection.</jats:p>

Synergy of nanocarriers with CRISPR-Cas9 in an emerging technology platform for biomedical appliances: Current insights and perspectives

“…Based on the aforementioned findings, the delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 by cationic nano-systems and nano clews to the brain to treat AD used either local or intravascular routes of administration. Although oral delivery is convenient, patient-friendly, and noninvasive, it is extremely difficult due to the various hurdles that the delivery system must overcome to transport its gene-editing cargo to the blood [86]. The intranasal method has gotten considerable interest as it allows non-invasive and efficient bypass of BBB causing nose-to-brain delivery as one way to quickly advance CRISPR-Cas9 therapies in AD into clinical research [86].…”

Various Aspects of a Gene Editing System—CRISPR–Cas9

“…Despite the fact of many precedents, the general acceptance of modifying single person’s somatic DNA is more tolerable than a germline, which could be passed to offspring. The first case is significantly beneficial in treatment of hemophilia, HIV, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and any other novel diseases [ 125 , 126 ]. In the second case, germline gene modification lacks societal consensus, and some countries even outlaw this practice.…”

CRISPR/Cas9 Delivery Potentials in Alzheimer’s Disease Management: A Mini Review

“…SAD is reported to be 70% predisposed by genetic variants and 30% by other risk factors. The latter includes non-modifiable factors such as ageing [ 11 ], gender [ 12 ] and hormones [ 13 ], and modifiable factors including physical activity, social standards, education, cardiovascular health, obesity, stress [ 14 ] and others [ 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Overall, studies that involved the brain delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutics, or siRNA, to manage AD adopted either local or intravascular routes of administration, given the respective advantages of each. Even though oral delivery is convenient, patient-friendly and non-invasive, it is extremely challenging due to the multiple barriers that the delivery system has to cross in order to deliver its gene editing cargo to the blood [ 12 ]. On the other hand, the intranasal route has been getting more attention as it is believed to allow the bypassing of the BBB non-invasively and rapidly [ 13 ], suggesting nose-to-brain delivery as one way to quickly push CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutics in AD into clinical study.…”

“…One of the advantages of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is that it is somatic rather than germline. Thus, the gene editing results will manifest only in the treated individual and will not be passed to future generations [ 12 ].…”