CRISPR-CAS9 E DCAS9 NO COMBATE AO HIV: COMO A EDIÇÃO GENÉTICA FUNCIONA

CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing tool capable of cleaving and modifying specific DNA sequences. In the context of HIV-1, this technology has been applied to edit host genes, such as CCR5, essential for viral entry into T cells, conferring resistance to infection. Additionally, direct proviral genome editing strategies aim to disrupt, excise, or deactivate integrated HIV-1 sequences, including gag, pol, env genes, and LTR regulatory regions, targeting the latent viral reservoir. The use of dCas9, an inactive nuclease variant, enables activation of silent genes and is employed in “shock-and-kill” approaches to induce latent provirus expression and facilitate its elimination. Despite challenges related to efficient delivery and minimization of off-target effects, CRISPR-Cas9 and its variants represent a promising strategy for functional or curative therapies against HIV-1. This study reviews the advances in CRISPR-Cas9 and dCas9 applications in host cells and viruses, highlighting their therapeutic potential and future perspectives in combating HIV-1 infection