Gene editing stands for the methods to precisely make changes to a specific nucleic acid sequence.With the recent development of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system, gene editing has become efficient, convenient and programmable, leading to promising translational studies and clinical trials for both genetic and non-genetic CREW SWEATSHIRT diseases.A major concern in the applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system is about its off-target effects, namely the deposition of unexpected, unwanted, or even adverse alterations to the genome.
To date, many methods have been developed to nominate or detect the off-target sites of CRISPR/Cas9, which laid the Foils basis for the successful upgrades of CRISPR/Cas9 derivatives with enhanced precision.In this review, we summarize these technological advancements and discuss about the current challenges in the management of off-target effects for future gene therapy.