Use of genome editing tools in environmental health research

Abstract

The nature and type of genome editing tools are rapidly expanding and becoming increasingly incorporated into research efforts aimed at understanding human disease. The majority of research involving genome editing has been driven by medical research, with a limited but increasing number of studies currently published in the field of environmental health and toxicology. The aim of the review is to address this research gap by providing a high-level summary of current genome editing techniques and presenting examples of how some of these techniques have been used toxicologically to evaluate environmental exposure–induced disease. Specific strategies surrounding the evaluation of hazardous chemicals, chemical mechanism of action/adverse outcome pathways, and interindividual response variability are also discussed to aid in the translation of genome editing methods toward toxicological and environmental health research.