Gene Editing Applications as Future Cardiovascular Therapies

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, despite advances in pharmacological and surgical interventions. The emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology offers promising approaches for correcting genetic causes of hereditary cardiovascular disorders and modulating pathogenic signaling pathways implicated in various heart diseases. However, several challenges with respect to in vivo delivery of gene editing components, as well as important safety considerations, remain to be addressed in the path toward possible clinical application. We review current gene editing strategies, their potential therapeutic applications in the context of a variety of cardiovascular disorders, and their respective merits, limitations, and regulatory considerations. The rapid advances in this field combined with the many opportunities for deploying gene editing therapies for cardiovascular disorders augur well for the future of this transformative technology.