141
6.7 Conclusion
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance has cut short the efficacy of many established therapeutics. The rampant usage of antibiotics has posed serious challenges
in the treatment of various bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections. The morbid
results of antimicrobial resistance may increase upto many folds in the near future
if not addressed with immediate effect. In such a scenario, CRISPR Cas, an emergent technology adapted from bacteria has shown encouraging positive results to
combat antimicrobial resistance. CRISPR technology is being currently investigated as an intervention against many diseases. The potential of CRISPR-Cas system to target and disrupt the antimicrobial resistance causing gene has provided new
avenues that need to be explored further. The key step is to deliver CRISPR-Cas
machinery into the target cells. The assembly can be directly delivered to target cell
using nano sized cages and liposomes or indirectly by using vectors carrying genes
which can code for guide RNA and Cas protein. The potential of CRISPR Cas system to mitigate antimicrobial resistance also has its share of shortcomings such as
their unpredictable response towards intricate and diverse range of microbial communities, difficulties in delivering large assembly of 160KDa and development of
anti-CRISPR Cas system resistance in bacteria. Apart from overcoming these challenges, there is a need of involvement of judicial and legislative laws that will
restrict the misuse of this technology. It is important to weigh in all the parameters
prior to use of this emergent technology for mankind.
References
Abudayyeh OO, Gootenberg JS, Konermann S, Joung J, Slaymaker IM, Cox DBT et al (2016)
C2c2 is a single-component programmable RNA-guided RNAtargeting CRISPR effector.
Science. 353(6299):aaf5573. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf5573
Adelman Z, Akbari O, Bauer J, Bier E, Bloss C, Carter SR et al (2017) Rules of the road for
insect gene drive research and testing. Nat Biotechnol 35(8):716–718. https://doi.org/10.1038/
nbt.3926
Adli M (2018) The CRISPR tool kit for genome editing and beyond. Nat Commun 9(1):1911.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04252-2
Agarwal M, Raghuwanshi SK, Asati DP (2015) Antibiotic use in sore throat: are we judicious? Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 67(3):267–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s12070-015-0864-1
Aliyari R, Ding SW (2009) RNA-based viral immunity initiated by the dicer family of host immune
receptors. Immunol Rev 227(1):17688. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-065X.2008.00722.x
Andersson AF, Banfield JF (2008) Virus population dynamics and acquired virus resistance in
natural microbial communities. Science. 320(5879):1047–1050. https://doi.org/10.1126/
science.1157358
Anders C, Niewoehner O, Duerst A, Jinek M (2014) Structural basis of PAM-dependent target DNA recognition by the Cas9 endonuclease. Nature 513(7519):569–573. https://doi.
org/10.1038/nature13579
6 Role of Gene Editing Tool CRISPR-Cas in the Management of Antimicrobial…
6.7 Conclusion
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance has cut short the efficacy of many established therapeutics. The rampant usage of antibiotics has posed serious challenges
in the treatment of various bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections. The morbid
results of antimicrobial resistance may increase upto many folds in the near future
if not addressed with immediate effect. In such a scenario, CRISPR Cas, an emergent technology adapted from bacteria has shown encouraging positive results to
combat antimicrobial resistance. CRISPR technology is being currently investigated as an intervention against many diseases. The potential of CRISPR-Cas system to target and disrupt the antimicrobial resistance causing gene has provided new
avenues that need to be explored further. The key step is to deliver CRISPR-Cas
machinery into the target cells. The assembly can be directly delivered to target cell
using nano sized cages and liposomes or indirectly by using vectors carrying genes
which can code for guide RNA and Cas protein. The potential of CRISPR Cas system to mitigate antimicrobial resistance also has its share of shortcomings such as
their unpredictable response towards intricate and diverse range of microbial communities, difficulties in delivering large assembly of 160KDa and development of
anti-CRISPR Cas system resistance in bacteria. Apart from overcoming these challenges, there is a need of involvement of judicial and legislative laws that will
restrict the misuse of this technology. It is important to weigh in all the parameters
prior to use of this emergent technology for mankind.
References
Abudayyeh OO, Gootenberg JS, Konermann S, Joung J, Slaymaker IM, Cox DBT et al (2016)
C2c2 is a single-component programmable RNA-guided RNAtargeting CRISPR effector.
Science. 353(6299):aaf5573. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf5573
Adelman Z, Akbari O, Bauer J, Bier E, Bloss C, Carter SR et al (2017) Rules of the road for
insect gene drive research and testing. Nat Biotechnol 35(8):716–718. https://doi.org/10.1038/
nbt.3926
Adli M (2018) The CRISPR tool kit for genome editing and beyond. Nat Commun 9(1):1911.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04252-2
Agarwal M, Raghuwanshi SK, Asati DP (2015) Antibiotic use in sore throat: are we judicious? Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 67(3):267–270. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s12070-015-0864-1
Aliyari R, Ding SW (2009) RNA-based viral immunity initiated by the dicer family of host immune
receptors. Immunol Rev 227(1):17688. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-065X.2008.00722.x
Andersson AF, Banfield JF (2008) Virus population dynamics and acquired virus resistance in
natural microbial communities. Science. 320(5879):1047–1050. https://doi.org/10.1126/
science.1157358
Anders C, Niewoehner O, Duerst A, Jinek M (2014) Structural basis of PAM-dependent target DNA recognition by the Cas9 endonuclease. Nature 513(7519):569–573. https://doi.
org/10.1038/nature13579
6 Role of Gene Editing Tool CRISPR-Cas in the Management of Antimicrobial…