Chennai, April 20 -- Highlights:

* Surfactant is a lipoprotein mixture which is important for normal lung functioning

* Mutations in the surfactant genes lead to fatal lung diseases like surfactant //protein deficiency, cystic fibrosis and alpha-1 antitrypsin

* Such fatal diseases can lead to immediate death after birth due to respiratory failure

* Using CRISPR gene editing in-utero, scientists have edited out the harmful mutations

* This proof-of-concept is a new beginning to deal with harmful lung diseases in fetuses before birth

CRISPR gene edits out a harmful mutation in surfactant genes which cause monogenic lung diseases. This gene editing tool can now help treat deadly lung diseases in fetuses before birth, reveals a new stud...