The Development and Use of Zinc-Finger Nucleases

Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) were the first of the targetable nucleases to be developed and exploited for genome engineering. They have proved remarkably effective, enhancing the frequency of gene targeting several orders of magnitude. The modularity of DNA recognition by zinc fingers has made it possible to design ZFNs for a wide range of genomic targets in a remarkable assortment of organisms and cell types. Use of this platform helped define the parameters and approaches for nuclease-stimulated genome manipulation. Although much of the territory has been ceded in the last few years to the more easily designed TALENs and CRISPR/Cas nucleases, successful ZFNs are still in wide use in a number of applications, including current clinical trials.