Overview
Gene editing is the targeted, programmable modification of genomic DNA, enabling the precise insertion, deletion, substitution or correction of specific sequences at chosen locations within a genome. It is achieved using engineered nucleases that introduce site-specific double-strand breaks, most prominently the CRISPR-Cas systems, which use a guide RNA to direct the Cas nuclease to a complementary DNA target, as well as earlier platforms such as zinc-finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases. Once a break is made, the cell's own repair pathways determine the outcome: non-homologous end joining tends to produce small insertions or deletions that can disrupt a gene, whereas homology-directed repair, guided by a supplied template, enables precise sequence changes or corrections. These tools have broad applications across the transgenic and functional-genomics work represented here, including precision plant genetics and breeding to improve crops, animal improvement, and the dissection of gene function, as well as the correction of genetic disease, exemplified by genetic-medicine approaches to disorders such as Tay-Sachs and by study of regulatory elements including circular RNAs in stem-cell and biotechnology contexts. Because gene editing can introduce heritable changes and carries the possibility of off-target effects, it raises significant ethical, biosafety and governance considerations, particularly regarding germline modification, that accompany its scientific and agricultural promise.
Research published in this journal
11 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
How this research is being cited
The 11 articles above have been cited 50 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
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2025 · Advances in experimental medicine and biology
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2024 · Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark
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2024 · Genes
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2024 · medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
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Dongqin Zhang et al. · 2024 · Genes
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Gene Editing, linking to each citing work.