A group of Chinese researchers has announced a plan to conduct the first-ever clinical trial of modifying cells through the CRISPR gene editing technology on humans.

China will be the first country to conduct a CRISPR trial on humans this August ahead of the United States' University of Pennsylvania.

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The team of scientists from Sichuan University's West China Hospital aims to get T cells, which is a type of white blood cells, from patients and utilize the CRISPR-Cas9 technique to edit the PD-1 gene, which regulates T cells' immune response and prevents attack of healthy cells.

After that, the modified samples will be multiplied in the lab before these are reintroduced into a patients' bloodstream, hoping these could target the parts attacked by cancer. However, before these are injected back, a biotechnology firm will first confirm if PD-1 has indeed been edited out.

The clinical trial will employ 30 candidates whose prognoses were not improved despite undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other treatments, according to Medical Xpress. However, of the patients, only one will get the edited cells initially, which is a three-dose regimen, to closely assess and monitor for positive and negative responses.

On the other hand, the researchers are uncertain of the test's outcome, saying they do not know if this could cause a more aggressive attack on the tumor cells or eradicate other problems. But while the overall goal is to ensure a safe procedure, scientists hope to get a positive outcome - signs of tumor reduction.

China was the first country to use the CRISPR editing technique on human embryos to edit a gene that causes a fatal blood disorder. However, the approach was only effective on half of the embryos tested.

TagsCRISPR Editing Technology, CRISPR, china