Viewpoint: ‘The true promise of gene-editing isn’t in pitless cherries or vitamin fortified-foods but in the vast potential for treatment and cures of human disease’

I’m not sure we need cherries with no pits, mustard greens that are less bitter or tomatoes with increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid. But cassava that doesn’t release cyanide, plants that are more resistant to attack by disease-causing organisms, and cures for genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia and muscular dystrophy are certainly very attractive prospects.

The root of the cassava plant is a staple food for some 500 million people in the developing world. There is an issue with cassava, though. The root contains linamarin and lotaustralin, two compounds that contain cyanide, ready to be released when exposed to the enzyme linamarin located in the cell wall.

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Researchers have been able to identify the DNA sequence of the genes that code for the enzymes the plant needs to synthesize linamarin and lotaustralin. By synthesizing an RNA molecule that matches that sequence and combining it with a Cas enzyme, they hope to silence that gene and save people from cyanide poisoning.

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