The gene editor targets cancer, blood disorders and blindness Since its debut in 2012, CRISPR gene editing has held the promise of curing most of the over 6,000 known genetic diseases. Now it’s being put to the test. In the first spate of clinical trials, scientists are using CRISPR/Cas9 to combat cancer and blood disorders
Source STAT Novartis dismissed the top two scientists at its gene therapy division shortly after CEO Vas Narasimhan learned of internal data falsification that has since snowballed into a damaging scandal, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday. The company previously said it was “in the process of exiting” scientists who were responsible for
Researchers in the US have developed a rapid, artificial intelligence (AI)-based test that can identify patients with an abnormal heart rhythm, even when it appears normal. This 10 second test for atrial fibrillation could be a significant improvement over current test procedures that can take weeks or even years (Lancet 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31721-0). Atrial fibrillation is a common
What are the most common clinical applications for 3D-printed models created from MRI scans of paediatric patients? A team from Ohio explored the various applications and the role radiologists play in production of the models in a new article, recently published online in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. “We wanted to investigate 3D printing with
Study finds that Alzheimer’s damage allows toxins to enter the brain, further harming neurons. Beta-amyloid plaques, the protein aggregates that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, disrupt many brain functions and can kill neurons. They can also damage the blood-brain barrier — the normally tight border that prevents harmful molecules in the bloodstream from
Thousands of patients at risk of type 2 diabetes are to receive digital support to help prevent them developing the condition as part of an expansion of these schemes on England’s NHS. NHS England said that pilot schemes showed that 24/7 access to online advice significantly boosted the numbers taking up the flagship Diabetes Prevention
Researchers have developed a soft neural implant that can be wirelessly controlled using a smartphone. It is the first wireless neural device capable of indefinitely delivering multiple drugs and multiple colour lights, which neuroscientists believe can speed up efforts to uncover brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, addiction, depression, and pain. A team under Professor
Though the brain is a very slow machine, its capabilities exceed typical state-of-the-art, ultrafast artificial intelligence algorithms; hence, a revolution in deep learning must emerge, as experimentally and theoretically demonstrated by physicists Machine learning, introduced 70 years ago, is based on evidence of the dynamics of learning in our brain. Using the speed of modern
P.M. Fornasari 08/10/2019 Whitehead Institute scientists find chemical modification contributes to trafficking between non-membrane-bound compartments that control gene expression. Cells often create compartments to control important biological functions. The nucleus is a prime example; surrounded by a membrane, it houses the genome. Yet cells also harbor enclosures that are not membrane-bound and more transient, like
Following an announcement by the FDA that it is investigating ‘data manipulation’ of Novartis’ Zolgensma, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has commented that this could lead to a re-evaluation of its initial cost-effectiveness assessment of the drug. Novartis’ gene therapy Zolgensma was approved by the FDA to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in children under two
