title: Application of gene-editing technologies to HIV-1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review will highlight some of the recent advances in genome engineering with applications for both clinical and basic science investigations of HIV-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the last year, the field of HIV cure research has seen major breakthroughs with the success of the first phase I clinical trial involving gene editing of CCR5 in patient-derived CD4(+) T cells. This first human use of gene-editing technology was accomplished using zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs). Zinc finger nucleases and the advent of additional tools for genome engineering, including transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENS) and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 system, have made gene editing remarkably simple and affordable. Here we will discuss the different gene-editing technologies, the use of gene editing in HIV research over the past year, and potential applications of gene editing for both in-vitro and in-vivo studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genome-engineering technologies have rapidly progressed over the past few years such that these systems can be easily applied in any laboratory for a variety of purposes. For HIV-1, upcoming clinical trials will determine if gene editing can provide the long-awaited functional cure. In addition, manipulation of host genomes, whether in vivo or in vitro, can facilitate development of better animal models and culture methods for studying HIV-1 transmission, pathogenesis, and virus-host interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D064113:CRISPR-Cas Systems; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*