Gene Editing News and Research

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Neuroscience-protein that creates borders inside the brain

Boundaries between different regions of the brain are essential for the brain to function. Research to-date has shown that molecular machineries located at the cell membrane such as cell adhesion molecules are responsible for regulating the boundary formation.

18 Dec 2018

Mechanisms behind neonatal diabetes uncovered

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have described mechanisms linking chronic cellular stress to the poor development of the insulin-producing cells.

17 Dec 2018

Genetically modified pigs could limit replication of classical swine fever virus, study shows

Researchers have developed genetically modified pigs that are protected from classical swine fever virus, according to a study published December 13 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Hongsheng Ouyang of Jilin University, and colleagues.

14 Dec 2018

Scientists discover rules that determine precision of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in human cells

Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have discovered a set of simple rules that determine the precision of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in human cells.

14 Dec 2018

New research lays out potential path for treatment of Huntington’s disease

New research gives scientists a clearer picture of what is happening in the brains of people with Huntington's disease and lays out a potential path for treatment.

14 Dec 2018

Study uncovers new genetic clues to frontotemporal dementia

Unlike the more common Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia tends to afflict young people. It accounts for an estimated 20 percent of all cases of early-onset dementia.

13 Dec 2018

New discovery will improve the safety and predictability of CRISPR

Scientists have discovered a simple set of rules that can be used to precisely predict how DNA will be modified by the CRISPR gene editing technique.

13 Dec 2018

Scientists develop new stem cell line to study conversion of stem cells into muscle

To help patients with muscle disorders, scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have engineered a new stem cell line to study the conversion of stem cells into muscle. Findings appeared in Cell Reports.

13 Dec 2018

New mouse model shows potential for rapid identification of promising muscular dystrophy therapies

A Massachusetts General Hospital research team has created a new mouse model of a common form of muscular dystrophy with the potential of rapidly distinguishing promising therapeutic drugs from those unlikely to be successful.

13 Dec 2018

Cancer Research UK and AstraZeneca open new Functional Genomics Centre

Cancer Research UK and AstraZeneca have announced today (Monday) that they are opening a new center in the UK, dedicated to realizing the full potential of functional genomics in the discovery and development of new drugs for patients with cancer.

10 Dec 2018

Researchers create new light-activated tools for controlling neurons

By enabling super-fast remote control of specific cells, light-activated proteins allow researchers to study the function of individual neurons within a large network - even an entire brain. Now one of the pioneers of 'optogenetics' and colleagues have created two new tools - protein pores which when illuminated allow Ca2+ into cells or K+ out - for switching neurons on or off using light.

6 Dec 2018

Xenotransplantation - Pig heart transplants keep baboons alive

A group of researchers have successfully transplanted pig hearts onto baboons and studied then for a long duration to see if the transplant was a success.

5 Dec 2018

New strategies may improve performance of CAR-T cell therapy in treating cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed two new strategies that may improve the performance of chimeric antigen receptor therapy in treating cancer. They are presenting results of their preclinical research at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego.

3 Dec 2018

Epigenetic maps of the inner ear could lead to development of therapeutics for hearing loss

Epigenetics is the expression and control of genes. The epigenetics involved in the inner ear is a critical part of the mystery of hearing.

3 Dec 2018

Light-activated tools allow scientists to accurately probe intracellular phase separation

Creating new tools that harness light to probe the mysteries of cellular behavior, Princeton researchers have made discoveries about the formation of cellular components called membraneless organelles and the key role these organelles play in cells.

30 Nov 2018

New study could fine-tune the CRISPR gene editing process

The introduction of the tool for gene editing, the so-called gene scissors CRISPR, in 2007 was a revolution within medical science and cell biology.

30 Nov 2018

Controversial gene editing of embryos stopped by the Chinese authorities

The Chinese government has stopped the gene editing works of Professor He Jiankui calling it unlawful and unethical. Notably Professor Jiankui had recently claimed to have produced the world’s first pair of twins who have their genetic codes edited so that they would never be infected with HIV.

29 Nov 2018

UT Southwestern researchers discover enzyme that promotes tumor growth

UT Southwestern researchers have found that an enzyme on the surface of some lung cancer cells helps feed the cancer, making it a tempting treatment target.

28 Nov 2018

Study reveals mechanism by which malaria parasite converts from its asexual to sexual form

A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) - an institution supported by "la Caixa" Foundation- reveals a new mechanism by which the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum converts from its asexual to its sexual form, which can be transmitted to the mosquito.

27 Nov 2018

Researchers discover new biosynthetic pathway to antibiotics using gene editing

Scientists have discovered a new chemical process - also known as a biosynthetic pathway - in bacteria which could lead to a new generation of antibiotics being produced and manufactured.

26 Nov 2018