High cholesterol and clogged arteries are the main cause of heart attacks. While modern medicine has developed ways to keep cholesterol down, these medications must be taken daily in order to be effective and come with their own list of side effects. This is where CRISPR comes in. Scientists have now developed a way to safely and durably reduce cholesterol in monkeys with a single injection of CRISPR gene therapy. In this episode, Dan and Derek discuss how this new therapy actually works, some of the interesting history behind it, and why it might be coming to a clinic near you sooner than you think...

Musunuru et al. In vivo CRISPR base editing of PCSK9 durably lowers cholesterol in primates. Nature, May 2021. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03534-y

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician on any questions regarding your personal health.