Another white cape HEROE.

David Liu, the mind that could change the present of cancer and leukemia

David R. Liu is still largely unknown, but we’re talking about someone who will probably win a Nobel Prize in the coming years—not just any Nobel, but the kind that transforms societies through its applications.

This scientist is quietly reshaping medicine. A researcher at Harvard and the Broad Institute, Liu is one of the major pioneers of gene editing—a technology that allows us to rewrite DNA with a level of precision that, until very recently, felt like science fiction.

But what does this have to do with cancer, and especially leukemia? Everything. These diseases arise when certain cells grow out of control—and what’s giving the orders behind the scenes? An alteration, a faulty DNA mutation.

David Liu has created some of the most advanced tools for modifying DNA: (1) base editing and (2) prime editing. These techniques allow scientists to correct genetic errors without “breaking” the DNA molecule—something essential when working with cells as delicate as cancer cells. They’re so precise that they don’t break the molecule at all; he is a molecular surgeon who opens the DNA chain with a magical scalpel and fixes errors without harming the rest of the molecule.

Thanks to these breakthroughs, scientists can now better study how tumors emerge, repair very specific mutations, and design innovative treatments with more safety than ever before. On top of that, advances in AI will allow us to understand and design medicine more precisely—designing the exact therapy or vaccine each individual needs to eliminate their malignant cells.

Cancer: a disease of DNA

Cancer begins when certain cells start accumulating errors in their DNA and lose control. That’s why tools that can repair or modify genes are drawing so much attention: they let us act directly on the root cause.

In leukemia—a blood cancer—this is even more important because:

• the affected cells are accessible,

• the mutations that cause the disease are well understood,

• and therapies based on modified cells already exist, such as the well-known CAR-T treatments.

  
  

For these reasons, many of the technologies inspired by Liu’s work are beginning to be applied first to this type of cancer.

PERT: a powerful tool for treating cancer-causing mutations

One of the most recent advances from Liu’s laboratory is the PERT system. Although originally designed to treat hereditary genetic diseases, it has sparked huge interest in the cancer field.

What is PERT?

PERT is a technique that helps the cell “skip” certain errors in DNA that block normal protein production. Proteins are everything inside a cell—they provide structure, catalyze reactions, and enable communication. In many cancers, including leukemia, these errors (called nonsense mutations) cause important genes to be left incomplete.

What’s surprising is that PERT allows the cell to produce the full protein again, which could:

• restore the function of genes that prevent tumors from growing,

• reduce the aggressiveness of cancer cells, and

• make them respond better to existing treatments.

Why could this be so important for leukemia?

In leukemia, nonsense mutations in key genes like RUNX1, TP53, or GATA2 can completely disrupt blood cell production. PERT could allow these genes to regain their normal function, helping to:

• stop the proliferation of malignant cells,

• prevent relapses,

• and improve the effectiveness of current treatments.

Additionally, because blood cells can be extracted, treated, and reintroduced into the patient, leukemia is an ideal setting to test this technology safely.

What challenges remain?

Despite its immense potential, several important steps remain:

• improving how these tools are delivered to the right cells,

• proving they are safe in the long term,

• and understanding how tumors react when key genes are restored.

However, early results in human cells and animal models are very promising. That’s why One Shôt encourages you to collaborate—to accelerate this work and advance as quickly as possible. It’s in your hands, in our hands.

Although there is still a road ahead, David Liu’s work represents a new way of confronting cancer: instead of only attacking malignant cells, it proposes repairing part of what is broken.

If these technologies reach the clinic—which many experts believe is possible in the coming years—we may be facing a profound shift in how cancer, and especially leukemia, is treated.

David Liu is not only rewriting DNA. He is helping rewrite the future of medicine.

Most diseases originate in our DNA—or could be solved through it. Let’s keep inspiring this promising path.

On his X account, the scientist himself shares his progress:https://x.com/davidrliu/status/1991196456779411694/photo/1

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