A team of University of California scientists are launching a first-ever human study of a powerful new gene-editing technique to fix the bad gene that causes sickle cell disease, offering the promise of a cure for the devastating blood illness. The new research efforts enlist CRISPR-Cas9 as a microscopic scalpel, performing genomic surgery with precision and efficiency. "We are motivated to work toward a cure that can be accessible and affordable to patients worldwide," said UC Berkeley's Jennifer Doudna, who leads the IGI's clinical diagnostics laboratory, and along with France's Emmanuelle Charpentier, earned the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the CRISPR discovery. "The launch of this trial is an essential first step on that path." For more on this, see our press release at Berkeley News. Another story on this topic appeared in Sickle Cell Disease News.