Gene Therapy
Is UK’s ‘3-parent IVF’ approval up to ethical standards?
A lengthy and consequential policy process in the UK has now come to an end. Despite what could turn out ...
Genome editing more efficiently targets desirable traits in crops
A novel strategy to enhance genome editing promises to increase the efficiency of making genetic improvements in a wide range ...
Could spinach gene save orange industry?
Orange juice has been an American breakfast staple for decades, adding a much-needed pop of color (and vitamin C) to ...
Mitochondrial donation regulation crosses final legal hurdle in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom’s House of Lords has approved legislation to allow a new type of in vitro fertilization (IVF) that ...
Self-destructing genes reveal novel approach to therapy
Bioengineers at The University of Texas at Dallas have created a novel gene-delivery system that shuttles a gene into a ...
Research provides clues to improving safety of gene therapy
National Institutes of Health researchers have uncovered a key factor in understanding the elevated cancer risk associated with gene therapy ...
What will advances in genetics during 2014 mean for future of medicine?
No question that 2014 has been a year to celebrate for the field of genetics. Stem cell therapy, gene therapy, ...
Gene Therapy 3.0: Rise and fall and rise again of gene therapy–For real this time?
Gene therapy is seeing a renaissance after a long period of skepticism about its failed potential. What are the new ...
First ever gene therapy drug comes at high price
The Western world's first gene therapy drug is set to go on sale in Germany with a 1.1 million euro ...
Gene editing advances raise hopes for hemophilia cure
In a scientifically-based future, researchers will be able to tailor the cure to the patient using genetic modification - by ...
Addiction can be measured by epigenetics
Both alcohol and cocaine dependence are regulated by epigenetic changes in the brain that begin with abuse. Matched with the ...
“Bubble boy” breakthrough cure shows how some viruses can save lives
Beneath all the bad news about viruses this week lies a good virus: the one that underlies gene therapy for ...
Promising new gene therapy for “bubble boy” disease
More than a decade ago, doctors showed dramatic progress in helping infants born with a severe deficiency in their immune ...
Controversial fetal cell transplants revived for Parkinson’s trials
Fetal brain cell transplants fell out of favor as a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease after mixed reviews from trials ...
Labs must now share your genome data with you–But do you really want it?
Genomic test results must now be shared with patients. That's the good news. It's also the bad news ...
Human enhancement upsets extremists on left and right
The prospects of a fast-approaching Age of Enhancement evokes caution in almost everyone, scientist or otherwise. It has been the ...
Genetic modification, gene therapy, insect resistance management: Evolutionary tools for sustainability
Solving societal challenges in food security, emerging diseases and biodiversity loss will require evolutionary thinking in order to be effective ...
Addiction: How our genes program our preferences and habits
Just 11 genes successfully identify who is likely to have problems with alcohol abuse and who will not. Does this ...
Cystic Fibrosis is a simple genetic puzzle, but finding a cure remains difficult
On the face of it, CF is a perfect candidate for gene therapy. It’s literally a textbook genetic disease – ...
Should Down syndrome fetuses be terminated? Abortion, Richard Dawkins & morality
Richard Dawkins tweeted that abortion is the moral choice for a Down syndrome fetus. As usual, vilification ensued. But the ...
Can we regulate gene editing without killing it?
CRISPR and other gene-editing methods, plus gene drives, are suddenly here and now. They offer unprecedented possibilities for genetic modification ...
Gene therapy could replace pacemakers, at least temporarily
Gene therapy could soon join the electronic pacemaker as a treatment for a weak heart. By inserting a specific gene ...
Cure for HIV? New gene-editing technique shows promise
A few lucky individuals have a mutation that makes them highly resistant to HIV. This mutation is also behind the ...
Gene therapy hot again as success stories roll in
In the early 2000s, gene therapy seemed to be on life support. The once-promising technique, which uses engineered viruses and ...
Geneticist’s take on cystic fibrosis gene therapy
I’m at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy annual meeting, one of my favorite conferences. The very first ...
Should consumers be concerned about the healthfulness of the non-browning GMO Arctic Apple?
Non-browning apples are likely to be the next genetically modified food approved for sale--which has some people jittery. What's the ...
Gene threapy postdoc guilty of misconduct, has six papers retracted
A former postdoc who studied gene therapy at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York is guilty of ...