There are existing immunotherapies that already target PD-1 receptors, which is what the article’s treatment of T cells is doing ex vivo. Pembrolizumab, for ex

There are existing immunotherapies that already target PD-1 receptors, which is what the article’s treatment of T cells is doing ex vivo. Pembrolizumab, for example, is an FDA approved first line therapy for all cancers expressing high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair which is a highly conserved attribute among people who smoke and drink, one of the main reasons for why China has such an abnormal amount of cancer in their population in addition to additional extraneous factors like rampant pollution, due to their extreme carcinogenic effects. This article seems to imply that the risk aversion taken by the FDA is resulting in lives not being saved, but is incorrect in it’s assertions. Especially since the utilization of CRISPR is still at a stage of, what is in my opinion, the creation of an unnacceptable mutational burden, immunotherapies like pembrolizumab which work to inhibit receptors through the usage of monoclonal antibodies are the best forms of treatment. In no way do I doubt the potential of gene editing and the good it can do, however, when I say this. The point is though, is that when you rush things too quickly, it inevitably ends up hurting the patient.