2024 saw many notable scientific advancements, and progress shows no sign of slowing down. At CAS, we’re constantly keeping our finger on the latest research, and we’ve identified eight key trends that could drive major scientific breakthroughs in 2025. Recent developments in these areas span diverse subjects like AI in research, precision medicine, and new battery technology. Together, they hold the possibility of improving our health, our environment, and the opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs to better leverage new research and technology.
CRISPR therapeutics pipeline gaining momentum
Cutting-edge gene editing technologies, particularly CRISPR, are revolutionizing the landscape of drug discovery. Casgevy was the first therapy to be approved by the U.S. FDA that was developed using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, and many new CRISPR-based therapies targeting a broad range of diseases have entered drug discovery pipelines and trials since.
The rapid development of base editing, prime editing, and even CRISPR-based epigenetic modulation has propelled CRISPR to the forefront of drug discovery, with potential applications in oncology, genetic disorders, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases. Correcting mutations, silencing harmful genes, or introducing protective changes in cells marks a paradigm shift from symptom management to therapies with curative potential for patients.
A few examples of how CRISPR is enhancing therapeutic approaches include:
Knocking out genes that inhibit T-cell function or enhance their ability to target cancer cells, leading to more potent and less toxic CAR-T therapies.
Adding controllable safety switches that can stop and reverse CAR-T cell therapies based on individual genetic responses.
Identifying genes and proteins in cancer cells, revealing new targets for PROTACs.
On its own, CRISPR’s versatility as a gene-editing tool allows for gene correction and silencing, which holds potential for curative treatments for monogenic diseases and viral infections. However, it’s the complementary nature of these technologies—CRISPR, CAR-T, and PROTACs—that is most exciting, enabling collaborative drug discovery across multiple technologies. New therapies that rely on CRISPR’s flexibility can address previously elusive aspects of disease biology and patient needs, shaping a future where combination approaches will yield more effective therapies.
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