Scientists ‘Delete’ HIV Virus from Human DNA for the First Time
July 22, 2014 – 10:09 am
For the first time, researchers in Philadelphia have found a way to completely delete the HIV virus from human cells by ‘snipping’ them out. The process could also provide a cure for other latent infections.
In a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Khalili and colleagues detail how they created molecular tools to delete the HIV-1 proviral DNA. When deployed, a combination of a DNA-snipping enzyme called a nuclease and a targeting strand of RNA called a guide RNA (gRNA) hunt down the viral genome and remove the HIV-1 DNA.
From there, the cell's gene repair machinery takes over, soldering the loose ends of the genome back together – resulting in virus-free cells.
Press Release: Aduro BioTech Receives Breakthrough Therapy Designation from FDA for Innovative Pancreatic Cancer Combination Immunotherapy
July 21, 2014 – 9:17 am
Aduro BioTech, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for its pancreatic cancer combination treatment that consists of its CRS-207 and GVAX Pancreas immunotherapies. According to the FDA, a breakthrough therapy designation is for a drug that treats a serious or life-threatening condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement on a clinically significant endpoint over available therapies.
CRISPR System Involved in Promoting Antibiotic Resistance
July 18, 2014 – 9:15 am
CRISPR, a system of genes that bacteria use to fend off viruses, is involved in promoting antibiotic resistance in Francisella novicida, a close relative of the bacterium that causes tularemia. The finding contrasts with previous observations in other bacteria that the CRISPR system hinders the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
The results are scheduled for publication in PNAS Early Edition.
The results are scheduled for publication in PNAS Early Edition.
Gene Therapy Is Used to Adjust Pigs’ Heartbeat
July 17, 2014 – 9:18 am
By injecting a gene into a pig’s heart, scientists have created a “biological pacemaker” that can regulate heartbeats, an achievement that eventually may lead to an alternative to electronic pacemakers in some people.
The technique may also prove to be a promising example of gene therapy, which so far has shown glimmers of success in just a few other conditions.
Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles reported Wednesday that they had injected a gene into a tiny section of pigs’ hearts and were able to temporarily reprogram ordinary heart cells into rhythm-generating cells. Human trials of the technique are at least three years away, and if successful, the approach would be, at least at first, limited to a small subset of pacemaker users.
Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles reported Wednesday that they had injected a gene into a tiny section of pigs’ hearts and were able to temporarily reprogram ordinary heart cells into rhythm-generating cells. Human trials of the technique are at least three years away, and if successful, the approach would be, at least at first, limited to a small subset of pacemaker users.
Gene Therapy Brings ALS Cure One Step Closer
July 15, 2014 – 9:17 am
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have moved one step closer to a gene therapy that could silence the faulty SOD1 gene responsible for triggering a form of motor neuron disease (MND) also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Scientists from the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) have begun groundbreaking research to develop a gene therapy that, if successful, could cure one form of the devastating neurological disease which affects more than 5,000 people in the UK.
First Dengue Vaccine to be Widely Tested in Humans Shows Promise
July 11, 2014 – 11:17 am
A potential new dengue vaccine - the first to reach phase 3 clinical testing - has demonstrated that it protects 56% of subjects from the disease, according to research published in The Lancet. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or specific treatments that prevent dengue infection. The main problem with developing a vaccine capable of preventing dengue is that the disease is caused by four separate dengue viruses, so the vaccine must be able to target all four serotypes.
Francis Collins Says Medicine in the Future Will Be Tailored to Your Genes
July 8, 2014 – 9:45 am
Given how swiftly the field of medicine is moving, it is impossible to predict where we might stand in 25 years, let alone 125 years. However, one thing is certain: From my vantage point at the helm of the world's leading supporter of biomedical research, I see a broad horizon filled with exciting opportunities—many with the potential to transform medicine.
At the forefront of these revolutionary possibilities is personalized medicine, which is the idea of precisely tailoring each person's medical care to his or her own unique genetic makeup. In fact, if all goes as we envision, today's mostly one-size-fits-all approach to medical care will seem as outdated to future generations as bloodletting leeches and patent-medicine potions are to us.
At the forefront of these revolutionary possibilities is personalized medicine, which is the idea of precisely tailoring each person's medical care to his or her own unique genetic makeup. In fact, if all goes as we envision, today's mostly one-size-fits-all approach to medical care will seem as outdated to future generations as bloodletting leeches and patent-medicine potions are to us.
First Cancer Immunotherapy for Dogs Developed
July 7, 2014 – 9:35 am
Nearly every second dog develops cancer from the age of ten years onward. A few therapies derived from human medicine are available for dogs. A very successful form of therapy by which antibodies inhibit tumor growth has not been available for animals so far. Scientists at the inter-university Messerli Research Institute of the Vetmeduni Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, and the University of Vienna have developed, for the first time, antibodies to treat cancer in dogs. The scientists published their research data in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.
