Fig. 2.

Timeline of major milestones in researches of genetic engineering and T cell-associated functional screens. Researches of genetic engineering and T cell-associated functional screens are depicted. Preceding the advent of CRISPR-Cas9 system, gene editing relied on RNAi, ZFNs, and TALENs, facilitating targeted mutations in cells and organisms. The introduction of CRISPR-Cas9 systems ushered in more convenient approaches for manipulating gene expression. The emergence of genome-wide CRISPR screens and studies dedicated to T cell functional screening expanded our comprehension of the intricate yet pivotal roles of T cells in cancer immunity