Gene Editing in Genitourinary Disorders

Genome editing has been well established as a genome engineering tool that enables researchers to modify genes of interest with the great therapeutic potential. Genitourinary disorder is a heterogeneous group of diseases affected by genetic and epigenetic alterations with a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Due to the similarity of their physiological location and tissue origin, urogenital neoplasms, inflammatory, fibrotic, infertility-related diseases show the characteristics of common influence and mutual promotion. At the molecular level, the complex mechanisms of gene expression, post-transcriptional regulation, metabolites, and signaling are major challenges to our understanding of these diseases. Gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 and other genome modification systems arises as a novel approach to clarify the physiopathologic mechanism, and its application in stem cell strategy and immunotherapy shows a tremendous potential for rescuing the disease phenotype.

The use of gene editing to study the causes and therapeutic targets of genitourinary disorder is very efficient and significant. It is vital to explore the effect of genome editing on in situ target cell, stem cell, and immune cell in the progression of disease. In addition, the efficiency and technical Innovation of gene editing are very important and should be paid more attention. In this Research Topic, the present articles will also focus on the delivery of genome editing system into genitourinary tract, cell specific selection, and off-target effects in specific organ source.

We welcome the submissions in the form of original research and reviews. Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following aspects:

• Complex genetic interaction in genitourinary disorder
• Gene editing to treat urinary disorder
• Gene editing to treat reproductive disorder
• In vivo delivery methods for gene editing in the genitourinary tract
• Gene editing to specific cell type in the genitourinary tract

Keywords: Genitourinary disorder, Genome editing, CRISPR, Urogenital neoplasms, Infertility

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.