In an achievement that has significant implications for research, medicine, and industry, scientists have genetically reprogrammed the human immune cells known as T cells without using viruses to insert DNA. The researchers said they expect their technique — a rapid, versatile, and economical approach employing CRISPR gene-editing technology — to be widely adopted in the burgeoning field of cell therapy, accelerating the development of new and safer treatments for cancer, autoimmunity, and other diseases, including rare inherited disorders.