Gene Transfer News and Research

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Gene Transfer is the insertion of genetic material into a cell.

Widespread transfer of genes between species appears to be key driver of evolution

Far from just being the product of our parents, University of Adelaide scientists have shown that widespread transfer of genes between species has radically changed the genomes of today's mammals, and been an important driver of evolution.

9 Jul 2018

Researchers show feasibility of stem cell-derived organoids for developing gene therapy vectors

A new study that compared six of the most promising adeno-associated viral gene therapy vectors in human retinal organoid models showed clear distinctions in the efficiency of gene transfer to both retinal pigment epithelial and photoreceptor cells.

14 Jun 2018

IU researchers observe bacteria's 'DNA uptake' process

Indiana University scientists have made the first direct observation of a key step in the process that bacteria use to rapidly evolve new traits, including antibiotic resistance.

12 Jun 2018

New way of delivering gene therapy shows promise in treating brain conditions

Researchers from the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences have engineered a novel way of delivering gene therapy that they hope will mean scientists and doctors can target areas of the brain that were previously difficult to reach.

5 Jun 2018

New discovery could revolutionize understanding of omega-3 production

A major discovery that could "revolutionize" the understanding of omega-3 production in the ocean has been made by an international team of scientists.

3 May 2018

Gene therapy offers potential cure for patients with lipoprotein lipase deficiency

During the first 18 months after treatment with ali-pogene tiparvovec, a gene therapy recently approved in Europe to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD), the first patient to receive the treatment had no abdominal pain or episodes of pancreatitis, following a history of 37 pancreatitis attacks.

2 May 2018

Gene therapy is the best stratagem to impact the course of GM2 gangliosidosis

Since its clinical description in 1881, Tay-Sachs disease has had almost totemic significance as a cruel and relentless genetic condition that destroys the developing brain of babies and young children.

28 Apr 2018

Bacterial 'gene swapping' affects emergence and spread of infectious diseases

A new study by scientists at the University of Liverpool documents, for the first time, how the ability of bacteria to swap genetic material with each other can directly affect the emergence and spread of globally important infectious diseases.

17 Apr 2018

Study unravels biological mystery behind 'magical' properties of psychedelic mushrooms

Psychedelic mushrooms likely developed their "magical" properties to trip up fungi-munching insects, suggests new research.

28 Feb 2018

Detailed phenotypic information on resistance genes can guide future drug development

The genes that are able to equip bacteria with resistance to clinically used antibiotics have been found in many different natural environments. Nevertheless, a functional overview of the resistance genes found in common human bacterial pathogens has been missing so far.

6 Feb 2018

New, more easily administered therapies offer benefits for bleeding and clotting disorders

In three studies being presented today during the 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, researchers report remarkable benefits from new, more easily administered therapies for bleeding and clotting disorders.

11 Dec 2017

CAR T cell therapy shows long-lasting remissions in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients

In a pair of clinical trials stretching from Philadelphia to Tokyo, the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy Kymriah (formerly known as CTL019) demonstrated long-lasting remissions in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients.

11 Dec 2017

Scientists develop new approach to combating antibiotic resistance

A team of researchers have developed a way of preventing the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria.

22 Nov 2017

Scientists receive critical funding to study treatments for three deadly cancers

Immunotherapy for leukemia patients has been nothing short of a miracle. Now scientists hope to use that science and other forms of gene therapy to tackle three of the deadliest forms of cancer: glioblastoma (brain cancer), sarcoma (bone cancer) and ovarian cancer.

17 Oct 2017

Injections of hunger hormone blocker can halt typical weight gain in mice

Mayo Clinic scientists have shown that injections of a hunger hormone blocker in mice can halt the typical weight gain after dieting and help prevent rebound obesity in the long term. The research findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

26 Sep 2017

Novel approach facilitates long-term persistence of AAV vector genomes in proliferating cells

Researchers added a scaffold/matrix attachment region (S/MAR) to a conventional adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector used for gene transfer, and the modified vectors were able to establish colonies and maintain long-term transgene expression in HeLa cells, as reported in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

22 Sep 2017

Gene therapy could be novel approach to treat alcoholism, research suggests

Researchers used gene transfer to block the expression of one of the two main enzymes that break down alcohol in the liver, leading to the accumulation in liver cells of acetaldehyde, a metabolic byproduct of ethanol.

19 Sep 2017

$Novartis gets FDA approval for novel immunocellular therapy to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL$

Novartis gets FDA approval for novel immunocellular therapy to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL

Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) suspension for intravenous infusion, formerly CTL019, the first chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, for the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is refractory or in second or later relapse.

30 Aug 2017

Biological bypass found safe for patients with coronary artery disease

A new gene therapy that targets the heart and requires only one treatment session has been found safe for patients with coronary artery disease, according to a successful trial carried out in Finland.

8 Aug 2017

Study identifies key component that allows deadly bacteria to spread antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for 11,300 deaths a year in the United States alone -- a figure that corresponds to half of all deaths caused by gram-positive resistant bacteria in that country.

26 Jul 2017