Source: Ars Technica
Researchers used AlphaFold to computationally redesign CRISPR-Cas9 proteins with fewer off-target mutations, a persistent safety constraint for gene therapies moving toward clinical approval. This applies structure prediction AI to a real biomedical problem—protein engineering that could reduce systemic risks in therapies reaching patients, not just protein folding as an academic exercise. Computational redesign bypasses years of laboratory iteration, potentially accelerating the path from promising gene-editing candidates to viable treatments.