CRISPR-Cas Nuclease Guide RNA Targeting VZV Genomic DNA
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current therapeutic approaches fail to completely eradicate latent viruses such as Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) from host cells, as they cannot selectively target and remove viral nucleic acid without interfering with host genetic material.
Innovation Solution
Development of compositions comprising a CRISPR-associated endonuclease and a guide RNA sequence that specifically target and cleave viral nucleic acid, using the CRISPR/Cas system to introduce targeted mutations or deletions in the viral genome without affecting host DNA.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current therapeutic approaches are used to treat VZV infection, then viral replication can be inhibited, but the virus cannot be completely eradicated from host cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the viral nucleic acid from host cells by using CRISPR/Cas system to specifically target and cleave VZV DNA sequences. The guide RNA directs the Cas nuclease to cut viral genomes, extracting the virus from the cellular environment and eliminating latent infection reservoirs that conventional therapies cannot remove.
Solution Approach 2:
The CRISPR/Cas system provides local quality by delivering nuclease activity specifically to viral nucleic acid sequences through guide RNA complementarity. The system distinguishes between viral and host DNA, applying cleavage only to VZV sequences while preserving host genomic integrity, thus achieving selective viral eradication without broad cellular damage.
2Reliability
If nucleic acid cleavage is used to target viral DNA, then viral replication can be disrupted, but host genetic material may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The guide RNA provides sequence-specific targeting that creates local quality differentiation between viral and host DNA. The CRISPR/Cas system recognizes and binds only to viral nucleic acid sequences complementary to the guide RNA, concentrating nuclease activity exclusively on VZV genomes while leaving host DNA unaffected.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide RNA acts as an intermediary molecule that mediates between the nuclease and viral DNA. It forms a complex with the Cas protein and directs it to specific viral sequences through base-pairing interactions, serving as a selective bridge that enables targeted cleavage without direct nuclease contact with host genetic material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The CRISPR/Cas system effectively eradicates latent viruses by selectively targeting and disrupting viral genomic material, preventing viral replication and reactivation, thereby providing a potential cure for VZV infections.
Implementation Method 1
a guide RNA sequence complementary to a target sequence in VZV
Implementation Method 2
nuclease is a Cas endonuclease and the sequence-specific binding module comprises a guide RNA
Implementation Method 3
Causing the nuclease to cleave the viral nucleic acid
Implementation Method 4
introduce targeted mutations or deletions in the viral genome
Data Source
AI summary
Compositions that specifically cleave target sequences in Herpesviridae, for example Varicella zoster virus (VZV) include nucleic acids encoding a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) associated endonuclease and a guide RNA sequence complementary to a target sequence in VZV. These compositions are administered to a subject for treating an infection or at risk for contracting a VZV infection.