Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42067668›Full record

ArticleNature biotechnology2026

DNA-guided CRISPR-Cas12a effectors for programmable RNA recognition and cleavage.

Xiaolong Wu, Wai Hei Lam, Zibin Zhao, Yumeng Cao, Haosi Lin, Xianzhen Feng, Yuanliang Zhai, I-Ming Hsing

Erratum issuedAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nature biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xiaolong Wu *Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Wai Hei Lam *Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Zibin ZhaoDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3121-9131
Yumeng CaoDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Haosi LinDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9257-8381
Xianzhen FengDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Yuanliang ZhaiDivision of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8897-6416
I-Ming HsingDepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China. kehsing@ust.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3326-3021

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 325014Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC) 16303522Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC) 16304225Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC) 6107-20GResearch Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC) C6053-25GResearch Grants Council, University Grants Committee (RGC, UGC) C7035-23GF
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

CRISPR-Cas effectors typically rely on RNA guides to recognize target sequences. In Cas12a, the protospacer adjacent motif on DNA engages conserved protein residues, triggering target binding and nuclease activation. Here we reprogram Cas12a into a DNA-guided, RNA-targeting effector. Exploiting protospacer-adjacent motif-dependent interaction, we engineer synthetic CRISPR DNA that engages Cas12a to form a functional deoxyribonucleoprotein complex, while repurposing solely RNA as the programmable target. Structural, biophysical and biochemical analyses reveal the molecular basis of this DNA-guided, RNA-targeting configuration and support an activation pathway distinct from that of canonical RNA-guided systems. DNA-guided Cas12a enables direct RNA detection and efficient intracellular RNA knockdown, establishing a modular activation architecture for CRISPR-Cas12a and expanding the design space for programmable RNA manipulation.

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.