Ricki Lewis
‘Challenge studies’: Should we be testing COVID vaccines by intentionally infecting volunteers?
To those who’ve never thought about volunteering to be intentionally infected to test a vaccine, the idea may at first ...
Gene therapy for hemophilia delayed until 2022 after FDA rejects one-time treatment, shocking doctors and scientists
U.S. regulators rejected [Biomarin’s] potentially game-changing hemophilia A gene therapy over concerns it might not really be a one-and-done lifetime ...
Vaccine ‘durability’: COVID-19 immunizations coming soon but will they last?
As the days unfold with a seeming sameness in this odd summer of the pandemic, news of vaccine clinical trials ...
Rare genetic disorder homocystinuria can cause strokes, seizures and death. A ‘genetic glitch’ in blind cavefish offers hope for a treatment
The discovery of a gene behind the absence of eyes in Mexican cavefish may suggest a new way to treat ...
The Three Stooges illustrate why coronavirus-fighting ‘antibody cocktails’ could help contain the virus well before a vaccine
“You imbecile!” bellowed Moe Howard as he stuck a finger up the nose of Curly. Moe the bully would often ...
‘Humanized mice’: Chimeras fuel quest to treat chronic diseases, cancer and even COVID-19
Some medical conditions can't be ethically investigated in humans, so researchers are finding interesting ways to grow people parts in ...
Coronavirus immunity passports could create a world of ‘us and them’. But here’s why they make sense
Dividing groups of people into “us” and “them” isn’t usually a good idea, but in the scary new world of ...
The tricky path for using stem cells to treat coronavirus-ravaged lungs
The coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a wave of repurposing efforts, from old malaria drugs prescribed off-label to anti-virals stalled in ...
Quest for coronavirus treatment inspires modern twist on antique technique using survivors’ plasma
There's no shortage of research efforts looking for ways to stop, or at least slow down, the novel coronavirus. Of ...
‘At home’ coronavirus test? How CRISPR could change the way we search for COVID-19
If we take the advice of health experts, we won't be attempting a return to normal life in the US ...
Can genetics explain the degrees of misery inflicted by the coronavirus?
“The single biggest threat to man's continued dominance on the planet is the virus.” Joshua Lederberg, Nobel Prize in Physiology ...
‘Designed to be slow’: Why these coronavirus vaccines in the pipeline won’t be ready this year
New York City has become a curious mosaic of crowds and barrenness, people packed into hospitals and homes, yet familiar ...
‘Sophie’s Choice’ in the time of coronavirus: Deciding who gets the ventilator
Three otherwise healthy patients go to the emergency department with severe acute respiratory failure. Only one ventilator, required to sustain ...
In pursuit of coronavirus treatments and why we need to be cautious
It's impossible to keep up with entries at ClinicalTrials.gov that include the search term “COVID-19.” Last week when I posted Can ...
Searching the world’s remedies for novel coronavirus treatments: Can Viagra, stem cells or Chinese herbs help?
As the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to mount, so do entries at clinicaltrials.gov for potential treatments, reaching into ...
Comparing the coronavirus pandemic to past pathogenic threats: HIV, anthrax and Ebola
How does the COVID-19 pandemic compare to other infamous viral infections that have plagued us in modern times? It's a ...
How the “F” word—flu—led to confusion as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded
Thinking that a novel virus is like a familiar one is like assuming that a guinea pig is the same ...
The risks of using gene drives to get rid of ‘pesky species’
Using gene drives to eradicate pests has a potential downside—DNA is constantly changing. That means gene drives have the potential ...
Will scientists ever get ahead of fast-mutating deadly health viruses? Exploring the coronavirus and the genetics of other viral outbreaks
Even as our methods of detection and treatment improve, we will likely never be able to completely stay ahead of ...
What’s your ‘ageotype’? Classification system explains why some of us are older—or younger—than we look
Study shows that "it’s possible to change the way you age for the better." ...
Can DNA predict who might be a mass murderer?
There have been repeated attempts over the past 50 years to find genetic links to criminal behavior or mass murderers ...
Viewpoint: Prohibiting treatment of transgender teens ignores reality of gender dysphoria
New study delves into the genetics of individuals with gender dysphoria ...
How fertile are you? ‘Ovarian reserve’ DTC tests that count your eggs offer mixture of control and misinformation
Joining the reproductive fray are tests designed to assess fertility by counting the number of eggs left in a woman's ...
Novels ‘All About Evie’ and ‘The Family Upstairs’ illustrate how DNA tests can reveal ‘dark secrets’, from rape to unknown siblings
It was inevitable that fiction writers would begin weaving unexpected DNA test results into their narratives ...
Will 2020 see the debut of promising gene therapy for hemophilia A? It’s up to the FDA.
Hemophilia A gene therapy has been twenty years in the making ...
2019 offered ‘eclectic’ mix of potentially breakthrough treatments for genetic diseases, from cystic fibrosis to sickle cell
2019 was a very good year for new treatments of genetic diseases ...
‘CRISPR this, CRISPR that’: Is our fascination with the popular gene-editing tool distracting us from the potential of gene-silencing RNAi technology?
I hope the public fascination with CRISPR can also embrace the other biotechnologies providing new therapeutic options ...
Does the ‘genetics revolution’ unsettle you? Here is a guide, and reasons to be hopeful
I'm thrilled that DNA science has become so much more tangible and practical. Yet we must use the information wisely ...
