EDIÇÃO GÊNICA COM CRISPR/CAS9 NA DOENÇA DE ALZHEIMER: AVANÇOS RECENTES E DESAFIOS FUTUROS

Neurodegenerative diseases have been one of the greatest challenges within the scientific community, mainly due to the lack of treatments capable of altering the course of these disorders. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) accounts for the majority of dementia cases worldwide and is a condition with strong genetic influence. AD is a chronic, slowly progressive, and irreversible disease with a complex and multifactorial etiology. Its main pathophysiological features are the formation of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of Tau protein. With the increase in life expectancy, the prevalence of the disease tends to grow, becoming an even greater challenge for public health. Gene editing through CRISPR/Cas9 technology shows great potential, especially for correcting genetic defects or mutations in the human genome. In this study, we analyze the theoretical foundations of this technology and its recent implementation in AD. The CRISPR/Cas9 mechanism, targeting specific genetic elements that modulate the pathological processes of the disease, may represent a significant advancement in the search for a therapy capable of halting the progression of AD-related degeneration. Finally, we present an overview of the limitations and future perspectives regarding the use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.