CRISPR-BASED APPROACHES FOR THE DETECTION AND TARGETING OF LUNG CANCER BIOMARKERS: A NEW ERA IN PRECISION ONCOLOGY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/25yfnz11Keywords:
CRISPR-Cas12a, CRISPR-Cas9, , Lung cancer, Biomarkers, EGFR mutation, KRAS G12C, ALK rearrangements, , Circulating tumor DNA, Gene editing, Precision oncologyAbstract
Background: Accurate and early identification of lung cancer biomarkers is crucial for effective management yet remains a clinical challenge. CRISPR-based technologies provide highly sensitive and specific tools that can be adapted for both diagnostic and therapeutic use in oncology.
Methods: A prospective study was conducted including 120 patients with confirmed lung cancer and 60 healthy individuals as controls at a tertiary care center. A CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostic platform was developed to detect EGFR exon 19 deletions, KRAS G12C mutations, and ALK rearrangements in tumor tissue and plasma samples. In parallel, CRISPR-Cas9 editing was applied to patient-derived lung cancer cell cultures to selectively disrupt EGFR mutant alleles. The diagnostic performance of the CRISPR assay was compared against conventional PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Results: The CRISPR-Cas12a assay successfully detected as few as 10 DNA copies/µL within one hour. In tissue samples, the assay achieved 96.7% sensitivity and 98.3% specificity relative to NGS. In circulating tumor DNA extracted from plasma, sensitivity reached 92.1%. Functional assays demonstrated that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated disruption of EGFR mutations reduced cell viability by approximately 65% and suppressed downstream oncogenic signaling pathways.
Conclusion: CRISPR-based strategies demonstrate considerable promise for both precise detection and targeted intervention in lung cancer. The integration of CRISPR diagnostics with gene-editing applications could significantly advance precision oncology by enabling earlier diagnosis and patient-tailored therapeutic options.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ibtasam Mazhar, Maimona Sadia, Muhammad Hassam Saleem, Ateeqah Siddique, Areeba Musferah, Areej Safdar, Anood Malik (Author)
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