Discovery of a Novel CRISPR-like System in Animals with Human Genome Editing Capabilities

Researchers have discovered a new RNA-guided system called Fanzor in eukaryotes, including animals, which can be reprogrammed to edit the human genome. Fanzor proteins use RNA as a guide to precisely target DNA, and they have the potential to be more easily delivered to cells and tissues as therapeutics compared to CRISPR-Cas systems. The study demonstrates that RNA-guided DNA-cutting mechanisms are present across all kingdoms of life, expanding the possibilities for precise genome editing.