Biochemists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have created the first atlas that maps where molecular tools that can switch genes on and off will bind to the human genome. It is a development they say could enable these tools to be targeted to specific parts of an individual’s genome for use in precision medicine, developing therapies and treating disease.
The study is published this week (Monday, Nov. 7) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The tools are polyamides, engineered DNA-binding molecules that are an important component of artificial transcription factors. Transcription factors — both natural and artificial — determine which genes are translated into proteins inside cells.
For more about this research, see the link below.