Navigating Viral Integration Landscapes with CRISPR-Cas9 and Long Read Sequencing

This study presents a powerful workflow combining CRISPR-Cas9–based targeted enrichment with long-read sequencing to map viral vector integration sites in the genome. The approach enables precise detection and characterization of where integrating viral vectors, such as lentiviral and retroviral systems used in gene and cell therapies, insert into host DNA. By resolving complex integration patterns at high resolution, the method improves safety assessment of gene therapies by identifying potential risks such as insertional mutagenesis and genomic instability.