2019年经济学人 基因编辑(2)

 

Both teams made use of "jumping genes²" or transposons (often called selfish genes),

两个团队都利用“跳跃基因”或转座因子（常被称为自私的基因）

which are pieces of DNA³ that seem to hop⁴ around genomes with little more purpose than to proliferate⁵.

它们是DNA的片段，且似乎在基因组间跳跃，除了增殖之外，几乎没有其他目的。

They were thought to do so aimlessly but, in 2017,

它们的跳跃被认为是毫无意义的，但在2017年，

it was discovered that some contained gene¹-editing systems that were very good at recognising specific DNA sequences.

一些含有基因编辑系统的跳跃基因被发现非常善于识别特定的DNA序列。

These were able to control where the jumping genes landed.

这些能够控制跳跃基因着陆的地点。

That, in turn, led to the idea, says Dr Sternberg, that it might be possible to harness jumping genes in gene editing.

Sternberg博士表示，反过来，这引发了这种想法—或许可以在基因编辑中利用跳跃基因。

Dr Zhang and Dr Sternberg have now demonstrated programmable CRISPR-Cas gene-editing systems

张博士和Sternberg博士现已表明可编辑CRISPR-Cas基因编辑系统

that do just this by harnessing a protein encoded by a jumping gene known as Tn7.

通过利用一种被称为Tn7的跳跃基因编码的蛋白质来做到这一点。

Dr Sternberg says that instead of making a double-stranded cut to DNA, and waiting for the cell to repair itself,

Sternberg博士表示不是对DNA进行双链切割，而是等待细胞自我修复，

in the new system the act of insertion happens at the same time a cut is made.

在新系统中，嵌入动作与切割动作同时发生。

Because the transposon method of gene editing does not need a cell's own repair mechanisms⁷ to conduct and make good the edit,

因为基因编辑的转位子方法不需要细胞的自我修复机制就能指导并做好编辑工作，

it offers a mechanism⁶ for adding genes into a wider variety of cells.

它为将基因添加至更多种类的细胞提供了一种机制。

This includes neurons and, most critically, cells that are not currently replicating⁸ in a suitable way for CRISPR to work.

这包括神经细胞以及更关键的是，目前不能适合CRISPR工作方式进行复制的细胞。

Although the new papers only demonstrate that jumping-gene editing works in bacteria,

虽然新论文仅论证了细菌中跳跃基因的编辑工作，

scientists have high hopes that it might work in human cells.

但科学家对其在人类细胞中的应用抱有很高期待。

The news is welcome in a field where the potential applications in medicine seem to grow by the day.

这一消息在潜在应用日益增长的医学界受到欢迎。

Verve Therapeutics, a biotech firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts,

马萨诸塞州坎布里奇的一家生物技术公司Verve Therapeutics

recently said that it wanted to use genetic⁹ editing to protect patients from coronary heart disease.

近期表示其希望利用基因编辑技术预防冠心病。

CRISPR Therapeutics, based in Zug, Switzerland, wants to edit beta cells, which produce insulin,

位于瑞士楚格的CRISPR Therapeutics希望编辑生产胰岛素的beta细胞，

so that they can be transplanted into diabetics without rejection¹⁰.

这样它们就可以被移植到糖尿病患者体内而不产生排斥反应。

In all these therapies, regulators will have to assess the risks and benefits.

在所有这些疗法中，监管者将需要评估风险和益处。

That will be easier when small risks of mistakes are set against the benefits of curing a fatal disease.

当错误的小风险与治愈致命疾病的好处相抵消时，这将会更容易。

But if CRISPR is to be used more widely and safely,

但如果CRISPR的用途更加广泛更加安全，

more understanding will be needed of how genetic changes actually relate to differences in how a cell functions.

我们则需要更多的理解基因改变和细胞功能差异的联系。

That effort got a boost this week. Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley,

本周该努力得到了推动。CRISPR-Cas基因编辑的发现者，该领域顶尖科学家

who discovered CRISPR-Cas gene editing and is a leading scientist in the field,

伯克利加利福尼亚大学的Jennifer Doudna

will collaborate¹¹ with GSK, a drugs firm based in London, to elucidate¹² the basic science of gene editing.

将和位于伦敦的一个药物公司GSK合作阐明基因编辑的基础科学。

The new Laboratory for Genomic Research, based in San Francisco,

Genomic Research的新实验室位于旧金山

is a $67m five-year collaboration¹³ that may ultimately be useful for drug development and would-be gene editors

耗资6700万美元，合作期为5年，或许这次合作最终有助于药物开发并帮助潜在的基因编辑者

—whether they seek to make changes to adults or embryos¹⁴.

—不论他们想改变的是成人还是胚胎。

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

3 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

4 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

5 proliferate   

vi.激增，(迅速)繁殖，增生

参考例句：

• We must not proliferate nuclear arms.我们决不能扩散核武器。
• Rabbits proliferate when they have plenty of food.兔子有充足的食物就会繁衍得很快。

6 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

7 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 replicating   

复制( replicate的现在分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Applications create these partitions for storing and replicating data. 应用程序创建这些分区用来储存和复制数据。
• The closest real things to these creatures were bits of self-replicating RNA. 最贴近这些造物的实物是能做一点微不足道的自复制的核糖核酸。

9 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

10 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

11 collaborate   

vi.协作，合作；协调

参考例句：

• The work gets done more quickly when we collaborate.我们一旦合作，工作做起来就更快了。
• I would ask you to collaborate with us in this work.我们愿意请你们在这项工作中和我们合作。

12 elucidate   

v.阐明，说明

参考例句：

• The note help to elucidate the most difficult parts of the text.这些注释有助于弄清文中最难懂的部分。
• This guide will elucidate these differences and how to exploit them.这篇指导将会阐述这些不同点以及如何正确利用它们。

13 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

14 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句