REVIEW: Progress in CRISPR/CAS13-Mediated Suppression of Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection in in vitro and in vivo Models

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Alisa A. Kazakova¹, Elena I. Leonova^2,a*, Julia V. Sopova², Angelina V. Chirinskaite², Ekaterina S. Minskaya¹, Ivan S. Kukushkin¹, Roman A. Ivanov¹, and Vasiliy V. Reshetnikov^1,3,b*

¹Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Federal Territory “Sirius”, Russia

²Saint-Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia

³Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: April 17, 2025; Revised: April 17, 2025; Accepted: April 18, 2025

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The worldwide number of deaths from complications caused by severe influenza and COVID-19 is about 1 million cases annually. Development of the effective antiviral therapy strategies for the disease treatment is one of the most important tasks. Use of the CRISPR/Cas13 system, which specifically degrades viral RNA and significantly reduces titer of the virus, could be a solution of this problem. Despite the fact that Cas13 nucleases have been discovered only recently, they already have shown high efficiency in suppressing viral transcripts in cell cultures. The recent advances in mRNA technology and improvements in non-viral delivery systems have made it possible to effectively use CRISPR/Cas13 in animal models as well. In this review, we analyzed experimental in vitro and in vivo studies on the use of CRISPR/Cas13 systems as an antiviral agent in cell cultures and animal models and discussed main directions for improving the CRISPR/Cas13 system. These data allow us to understand prospects and limitations of the further use of CRISPR/Cas13 in the treatment of viral diseases.

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KEY WORDS: CRISPR/Cas13, influenza virus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, antiviral drugs

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297925601212

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