The Ever-Evolving Quest

CRISPR has evolved far beyond basic gene editing. In 2025, base editing and epigenetic modulation enable precise DNA tweaks without cutting strands, reducing off-target effects. The first CRISPR-based drug, Casgevy, approved for sickle cell disease, paved the way for therapies targeting cancer, HIV, and autoimmune conditions. Researchers now engineer CAR-T cells with CRISPR to enhance tumor targeting and embed "safety switches," allowing doctors to halt therapy if side effects arise ^{2 4} . Colossal Biosciences' creation of a cold-adapted "woolly mouse" marks a milestone in de-extinction, validating gene-editing techniques for restoring extinct traits ¹ .

As CO₂ levels hit 427 ppm—a 50% increase over pre-industrial levels—science counters with radical innovations ¹ :

• Direct Air Capture: The STRATOS facility in Texas, the world's largest carbon-capture plant, began operations, aiming to remove millions of tons of CO₂ annually ⁵ .
• Solar Fuels: Berkeley researchers developed perovskite "artificial leaves" that convert CO₂ into ethylene and ethane using sunlight, turning emissions into industrial feedstocks ¹ .
• MOF/COF Materials: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) designed by BASF capture CO₂ from smokestacks, while covalent organic frameworks (COFs) filter microplastics and PFAS from water ² .

CO₂ Levels Over Time

• Lunar Resurgence: Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander delivered payloads to the Moon's Mare Crisium, studying regolith for future habitats. Japan's Resilience rover and NASA's ill-fated Lunar Trailblazer (lost after launch) aimed to map water ice, critical for sustained exploration ⁵ .
• Exoplanet Weather: The Very Large Telescope mapped the atmosphere of WASP-121b (Tylos), revealing titanium winds racing at 33,000 km/h—the fastest jet stream ever recorded ¹ .
• Asteroid Defense: ESA and NASA collaboratively tracked 2024 YR4, an asteroid with a fleeting 3.1% impact probability, before ruling out a 2032 collision ¹ .

Lunar Exploration

2025 sees renewed focus on sustainable Moon bases

Exoplanet Research

Mapping extreme weather on distant worlds

Planetary Defense

Tracking potentially hazardous asteroids

Declared the UN International Year of Quantum Science, 2025 sees quantum computing transitioning from theory to practice:

• Microsoft's Majorana 1 chip uses topological qubits for enhanced stability, while AWS's Ocelot leverages "cat qubits" to slash errors by 90% ^{1 2} .
• Cleveland Clinic and IBM deployed the first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare, simulating protein folding for drug discovery ² .

Background

Neuroblastoma, a deadly childhood cancer, has a 50% 5-year survival rate. In 2025, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) pioneered a breakthrough: CAR-T cells engineered to target Glypican-2 (GPC2), a protein overexpressed in neuroblastoma tumors ⁴ .

Methodology: Step by Step

1. Target Identification: Researchers sequenced tumor biopsies, confirming GPC2's prevalence in 90% of neuroblastomas.
2. CRISPR Editing: T-cells were extracted from patients. Using CRISPR-Cas9:
   • The PD-1 gene (an immune checkpoint) was deleted to prevent T-cell exhaustion.
   • A synthetic GPC2-targeting CAR gene was inserted.
   • A "safety switch" gene (iCasp9) was added, activatable by a drug to halt therapy if toxicity occurred.
3. Lentiviral Delivery: Modified CAR genes were shuttled into T-cells via deactivated lentiviruses.
4. Expansion & Infusion: Edited cells were multiplied in bioreactors and reinfused into patients.

Results & Analysis

The therapy achieved 80% complete remission at 6 months—double the control group's rate. Crucially, CRISPR editing enhanced T-cell persistence; modified cells remained active for 120+ days vs. 45 days in conventional CAR-T. The safety switch was activated in 2 patients to manage cytokine release syndrome, resolving symptoms within 48 hours.

This experiment proved that multiplex CRISPR editing (targeting + safety features) could make CAR-T viable for solid tumors. NCI is now extending the platform to GPC2-positive lung and ovarian cancers ⁴ .