The role of CRISPR‐Cas in advancing precision periodontics

Abstract

The significant advancement of molecular biology has revolutionized medicine and provided important technologies to further clinical research development. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) are DNA sequences derived from bacteriophages which have previously infected the bacterial species. The CRISPR–Cas system plays a key role in bacterial defense by detecting and destroying DNA fragments during subsequent bacteriophage invasions. The Cas9 enzyme recognizes and cleaves new invading CRISPR‐complementary DNA sequences. Researchers have taken advantage of this biological device to manipulate microbes’ genes and develop novel therapeutics to tackle systemic disease. In this review, we discuss the potential of utilizing CRISPR–Cas systems in the periodontal field to develop personalized periodontal care. We summarize promising attempts to bring this technology to the clinical setting. Finally, we provide insights regarding future developments to best utilize the CRISPR–Cas systems to advance precision periodontics. Although further research is imperative to evaluate the safety and potential of using CRISPR–Cas to develop precision periodontics approaches, few studies showed promising data to support the investment into this important technology in the dental sector. CRISPR–Cas9 can be a useful tool to create knockouts in vitro and in vivo as a screening tool to identify cellular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Alternative CRISPR systems such as CRISPRa, CRISPRi, and Cas13 can be used to modify the transcriptome and gene expression of genes involved in periodontitis progression. CRISPR systems such as Cas3 can be used to target the periodontal biofilm and to develop new strategies to reduce or eliminate periodontal pathogens. Currently, the utility of CRISPR–Cas applications in clinical settings is limited. Through this review, we hope to foster further discussion in the periodontal research and clinical communities with respect to the potential clinical application of novel, CRISPR–Cas based, therapeutics for periodontitis.

Revitalizing oral cancer research: Crispr-Cas9 technology the promise of genetic editing

“…Notably, preclinical and clinical investigations have demonstrated promising outcomes with this approach in developing new cancer therapies. Additionally, recent studies underscore CRISPR-Cas9’s potential in identifying oral cancer-associated genes and its broader applications in precision dentistry, affirming its significant promise in oral cancer management ( 75 ).…”

An Update on the Application of CRISPR Technology in Clinical Practice

“…It was documented that knocking out the PTPN2 gene with CRISPR–Cas9 in mouse models enhances the phosphorylation of JAK1 and STAT3,22 transcription factors, leading to increased periodontal inflammation. Therefore, it can be concluded that PTPN2 contributed to the inhibition of this inflammation [ 137 – 139 ]. Overall, the usage of the CRISPR method in periodontitis experimental trials has been limited; however, with the development of this system, more therapeutic strategies will replace surgery to treat periodontal disorders.…”

CRISPR-Cas: Aktuelle og mulige anvendelser i odontologi

“…Dette kan vaere molekyler som øker/hemmer inflammasjon eller kan ha andre effekter i patogenesen. Detaljert kunnskap om dette kan danne grunnlag for målrettet og persontilpasset behandling (presisjonsmedisin) av sykdommer som periodontitt, på engelsk kalt «precision periodontics» (24,25).…”