 has released a new protein reagent aimed at addressing one of the persistent limitations of CRISPR-mediated genome editing, the relatively low efficiency of homology-directed repair (HDR) in certain cell types.){kind=link}
Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has released a new protein reagent aimed at addressing one of the persistent limitations of CRISPR-mediated genome editing, the relatively low efficiency of homology-directed repair (HDR) in certain cell types. The Alt-R™ HDR Enhancer Protein, developed by IDT and manufactured by Aldevron under the Danaher umbrella, has been reported to double HDR rates in difficult-to-edit cells, including induced pluripotent stem cells and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.
HDR-based knock-in approaches remain less efficient than non-homologous end joining-driven knockouts, particularly in primary or sensitive cells. According to IDT, internal studies across multiple genomic loci suggest that the new protein-based reagent enhances HDR efficiency without increasing off-target editing events or chromosomal translocations. Importantly, the reagent was also found to maintain cell viability and genomic integrity.
IDT’s legacy of innovation, market leadership in CRISPR and strong collaborations with gene editing pioneers enabled us to develop a first-to-market Alt-R HDR Enhancer Protein that delivers on our customers therapeutic research needs and desire to fast-track breakthroughs. It’s exciting to see from early access users that this pathway specific protein-based enhancer shifts the DNA repair pathway balance toward HDR, promoting more precise genome modification without compromising cell viability or genomic integrity, demonstrating its scalability in therapeutic development applications.
Sandy Ottensmann, VP/GM, Gene Writing & Editing at IDT
The Alt-R HDR Enhancer Protein is currently available in research-use-only formats (500 μg and 5 mg), with a cGMP-grade version in development to support clinical research pipelines. The company reports compatibility with both Cas9 and Cas12a systems as well as common delivery platforms, suggesting the reagent can be incorporated into existing gene editing workflows with minimal adjustment.