The usage of mouse models has been vital for biomedical research over the last decades, yet the generation of these models has been extremely difficult and labor-intensive. The identification and generation of nucleases able to introduce site-specific DNA double-strand breaks, particularly the CRIPSR/Cas system, is a major breakthrough for this field as the endogenous DNA repair machinery can be hijacked to specifically introduce genome modifications at these sites. This allows for the time-efficient and cost-efficient generation of mouse models by delivery of designer nucleases together with donor DNA into fertilized oocytes.
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