CRISPR Timeline

To understand some of the hype surrounding CRISPR, what has it actually accomplished thus far?

The development of CRISPR

1987
CRISPRs are discovered by Japanese scientists as "unusual structures" in E. coli genomes. (1)

2002
The term CRISPR, coined by researcher Francisco Mojica, is used in print for the first time. (2)

2008
DNA is identified as the target molecule of CRISPR. (2)

2012
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier are attributed with developing CRISPR-Cas9 as a genome editing technology.* (3)

January 2013
Feng Zheng is attributed with developing CRISPR-Cas9 as a genome editing technology.* (2)

*There is currently a patent battle between the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (Feng Zheng's affiliated institution) and University of California Berkeley (Jennifer Doudna's affiliated institution) over who has the rights to CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, creating complications in giving credit for the discovery. Learn more about the patent dispute at BioNews. (4)

CRISPR Highlights

August 2013
The first genetically modified plants using CRISPR are performed in rice. (5)

January 2014
The first primates to be genetically modified with CRISPR are born in China. (6)

September 2014
U.S. scientists use CRISPR to prevent muscular dystrophy in mice. (7)

April 2015
Chinese scientists use CRISPR in experiments on nonviable human embryos for the first time. (8)

May 2015
American researchers use CRISPR to identify new targets for cancer drugs. (9)

July 2015
American scientists edit human T-cells using CRISPR. (10)

October 2015

• Chinese scientists create genetically modified dogs with increased muscle mass. (11)
• American researchers use CRISPR to edit over 60 genes in pig embryos. (12)

November 2015
Chinese scientists use CRISPR to edit goat embryos to have increased muscle mass and longer fur. (13)

February 2016
U.S. researchers use CRISPR to correct a genetic mutation that causes blindness. (14)

April 2016
Chinese scientists use CRISPR to edit nonviable human embryos for a second time. (15)

June 2016 
American researchers use CRISPR in experiments to create chimeric part-pig, part-human embryos. (16)

September 2016 

• Chinese scientists use CRISPR to successfully shrink tumors in mice. (17)
• A Swedish scientist uses CRISPR for first time to edit viable, healthy human embryos. (18)
• A Swedish scientist eats a pasta dish with CRISPR-modified cabbage, in what may have been the first-ever CRISPR meal. (19)

October 2016
U.S. scientists have success in correcting sickle cell anemia mutations in mice with CRISPR. (20)

November 2016

• U.S. scientists partially restore vision in blind rats using CRISPR. (21)
• Chinese scientists inject humans with CRISPR-modified immune cells for the first time in a lung cancer clinical trial. (22)

Have anything to add? Additional sources, helpful and relevant resources, and professional insights are welcome! Share in the comments below.


SOURCES

(1) Fitzpatrick Dimond, P. F. (2013). CRISPR Madness. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.genengnews.com/.

(2) The Broad Institute. (n.d.). CRISPR Timeline. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.broadinstitute.org/what-broad/areas-focus/project-spotlight/crispr-timeline.

(3) Doudna, J. (2015). How CRISPR Lets Us Edit Our DNA. [Online]. TEDGlobal>London, September 2015, London. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_doudna_we_can_now_edit_our_dna_but_let_s_do_it_wisely.

(4) Haque, A. (2015). CRISPR Gene Editing Patents Disputed. BioNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_525601.asp.

(5) Feng, Z., Zhang, B., Ding, W., et al. (2013). Efficient Genome Editing in Plants Using a CRISPR/Cas System. Cell Research, 23(10), pp. 1229-1232.

(6) Rojahn, S. Y. (2014). Monkeys Modified With Genome Editing. MIT Technology Review. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/523986/monkeys-modified-with-genome-editing/.

(7) Long, C., McAnally, J. R., Shelton, J. M., et al. (2014). Prevention of Muscular Dystrophy in Mice by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Editing of Germline DNA. [Online]. Science, 345(6201), pp. 1184-1188. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/345/6201/1184.full.

(8) Kolata, G. (2015). Chinese Scientists Edit Genes of Human Embryos, Raising Concerns. The New York Times. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/health/chinese-scientists-edit-genes-of-human-embryos-raising-concerns.html?_r=0.

(9) Ghangrekar, I., and Ochert, A. (2015). CRISPR Reveals New Cancer Drug Targets. BioNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_525902.asp.

(10) Farley, P. (2015). In CRISPR Advance, Scientists Successfully Edit Human T Cells. University of California San Francisco. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2015/07/131146/crispr-advance-scientists-successfully-edit-human-t-cells.

(11) Regalado, A. (2015). First Gene-Edited Dogs Reported in China. MIT Technology Review. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/542616/first-gene-edited-dogs-reported-in-china/.

(12) Reardon, S. (2015). Gene-Editing Record Smashed in Pigs. Nature. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.nature.com/news/gene-editing-record-smashed-in-pigs-1.18525.

(13) Larson, C. (2015). China's Bold Push Into Genetically Customized Animals. Scientific American. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-s-bold-push-into-genetically-customized-animals/.

(14) Bhangra, K. S. (2016). CRISPR Corrects Mutation That Causes Blindness. BioNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_611283.asp

(15) Pascual, K. (2016). Chinese Scientists Edit Genes of Human Embryos For the Second Time. Tech Times. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/149281/20160412/chinese-scientists-edit-genes-of-human-embryos-for-the-second-time.htm.

(16) Davis, N., and Rawlinson, K. (2016). Scientists Attempting to Harvest Human Organs in Pigs Create Human-Pig Embryo. The Guardian. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jun/05/organ-research-scientists-combine-human-stem-cells-and-pig-dna.

(17) Özkaya, O. (2016). CRISPR Shrinks Tumors in Mice. BioNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_698685.asp.

(18) Saey, T. S. (2016). New Era of Human Embryo Gene Editing Begins. ScienceNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-era-human-embryo-gene-editing-begins.

(19) Cohen, J. (2016). Did a Swedish Researcher Really Eat the First CRISPR Meal Ever Served? Science. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/did-swedish-researcher-eat-first-crispr-meal-ever-served.

(20) Gregory, S. (2016). CRISPR Success in Repairing Sickle Cell Anaemia Mutation. BioNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_714286.asp.

(21) Waldron, P. (2016). CRISPR Partially Restores Sight in Blind Rats. BioNews. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 09, 2016]. Available at: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_728876.asp.

(22) Cyranoski, D. (2016). CRISPR Gene-Editing Tested in a Person for the First Time. Nature. [Online]. [Accessed Dec 19, 2016]. Available at: http://www.nature.com/news/crispr-gene-editing-tested-in-a-person-for-the-first-time-1.20988.