Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats screens in pediatric tumours: A review

In recent years, the discovery and development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has revolutionized and accelerated functional genetic screening in cancer research. In this review, we discuss different methods of executing CRISPR screens, with a focus on pediatric tumour entities. Historically, these tumours were thought to resemble their adult counterparts. However, the new era of genomic research and the extensive use of gene editing has identified pediatric tumours as distinct entities with drastically different development and presentation. Here we provide an overview of CRISPR screens performed in pediatric tumour models and highlight unique considerations for pediatric tumour screens. In particular, the results from CRISPR screens combining treatment with genetic knockouts can push treatment for pediatric patients. We conclude by discussing the potential of CRISPR genetic screening to unravel pediatric tumour biology and identify new treatment options.