Tecnología CRISPR-Cas9 y sus diversas aplicaciones biotecnológicas: Innovación tecnológica en países en vías de desarrollo. Revisión bibliográfica

Abstract

Gene editing has become a promising tool in various fields of research. Among the editing techniques, CRISPR-Cas9 has stood out for its precision, efficiency, versatility and low cost compared to previous methods such as ZFNs and TALENs. This has given rise to several studies that seek to exploit the broad potential of this tool; however, despite the worldwide boom, in developing countries its implementation at the professional level is still limited by economic, logistical and infrastructure factors. This integrative bibliographic review compiled the most relevant information about the CRISPR-Cas9 system in biotechnological field, particularly on agriculture, disease treatment, antibiotic resistance and bioremediation. Based on this compilation, the most widely used protocols in each area were described. A total of 53 articles, were selected under strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, which were subsequently analyzed. The results showed that CRISPR-Cas9 has been successfully used to improve crops, treat diseases, eliminate resistance genes in bacteria and optimize the capacity of plants and microorganisms to control contaminated environments. However, limitations related to editing efficiency and the scarce evaluation of long-term off-target effects were identified, which represents a challenge to guarantee the safety of this technology. This study aims to serve as a guide to promote knowledge and responsible application of the CRISPR-Cas9 system in developing countries.