Nobel Laureate Discusses CRISPR with Arts & Lectures and Cancer Foundation Supporters

On October 22, Nobel Prize–winning biochemist Dr. Jennifer Doudna dined with supporters of UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) and the Cancer Foundation of S.B. (CFSB). The intimate, al fresco dinner party at Villa & Vine was held before Doudna’s lecture at The Granada Theatre, giving supporters a chance to pose questions to Doudna about the revolutionary CRISPR gene-editing technology.

A&L Executive Director Celesta Billeci and CFSB Executive Director Lori Willis welcomed guests. Doudna, when asked what she was most excited about, stated the future of genome editing as the standard of care. She pointed to sickle cell as an example of a disease that we now have an FDA-approved CRISPR therapy to treat and cure. The therapy is very expensive, she acknowledged, such that much work remains to be done, but this achievement is tremendously motivating. 

Another especially exciting area for Doudna is the use of CRISPR in the microbiome. These are the bacteria, Doudna explained, that populate our bodies and the environment, we “are learning they have everything to do with our health and our climate,” and we can manipulate them using CRISPR. A $70 million gift from the TED Audacious Project has enabled the Innovative Genomics Institute, which Doudna founded, to hire many scientists. She beamed with excitement in discussing plans to build a whole community of passionate scientists, collaborating across UC campuses.

When a guest commented on how long it took to achieve the sickle cell therapy and queried what this portends for the timing of the next CRISPR application, Doudna implied that the sickle cell therapy was actually developed remarkably fast. She noted that the research describing CRISPR was first published in an academic/scientific journal in the summer 2012, and in December 2023, 11.5 years later, we have an FDA-approved clinical therapy that is a “one-and-done cure for sickle cell disease.” This feat, according to Doudna, was able to happen only because an entire community — researchers, clinicians, patients, investors, and others — came together. 

The next application, Doudna posited, will happen even faster because of all the progress that has been made and how much has been learned along the way. Also, she noted, the FDA is getting smarter in how it regulates CRISPR technology. She referenced lots going on now with CRISPR, including cancer applications.

When asked about any ethical concerns she has about CRISPR, Doudna quickly responded affirmatively, because the technology allows targeted changes in DNA, including in the human genome. The technology is incredibly valuable, but because it can also be harmful, Doudna cautioned, there is a need to be proactive on an international scale, and her institute is involved with these efforts. 

In closing, Doudna praised the UC system as having an incredible ecosystem of people with shared values. She pointed to scholarship programs that give people who otherwise would not have access a chance in the world. Presently, her institute has a phase one clinical trial at three UC campuses and just added a fourth. The Institute has not worked with UCSB to date, but Doudna stated that she would love to involve all of the UCs.

Earlier in the day, Doudna held a session with students in the UCSB Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department and another session with physicians and staff from Ridley-Tree Cancer Center and other physicians.

Arts & Lectures relies heavily on community support to sustain its lectures, performances, and community outreach and education. More than half of all visiting artists and lecturers engage in some form of outreach or educational activity.

The Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara is Ridley-Tree Cancer Center’s fundraising partner. This year, CFSB awarded $3.6 million to the center for various programs and services. It also completed a four-year, $10 million renovation of the center’s Nuclear Medicine Department, which is in the basement of Cottage Hospital.