Emerging trends in gene and cell therapy: CRISPR in DNA editing and beyond

CRISPR-based gene and cell therapies are rapidly transitioning from experimental platforms to clinical reality, exemplified by the recent approval of CRISPR-derived treatments for β-hemoglobinopathies. This review highlights how advances in genome editing technologies, ranging from CRISPR-Cas nucleases to base and prime editors, are expanding the therapeutic landscape beyond traditional gene knockout approaches. We focus on the clinical translation of these tools, drawing on examples from ongoing and completed human trials to illustrate their potential across diverse disease areas. Furthermore, we discuss critical considerations such as delivery challenges, long-term safety, immune responses, and editing specificity, all of which are critical to the safe and effective integration of CRISPR technologies into modern medicine.