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Category: biotech/medical – Page 2,225

Japan and Singapore Grant CRISPR Patents to Merck

Merck now holds 22 CRISPR-related patents worldwide across nine different geographies.

- Patents cover Paired Cas9 Nickase CRISPR genome-editing technology to advance gene therapy and research.

DARMSTADT, Germany, Nov. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that the Japan Patent Office and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore have each allowed the company’s patent application for the use of paired CRISPR nickases, bringing Merck’s number of patents to 22 worldwide.

The Psychology of Beating an Incurable Illness | Bob Cafaro | TEDxCharlottesville

NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk for medical advice. This talk, which was filmed at a TEDx event, contains strong assertions about multiple sclerosis and lifestyle medicine that lack sufficient scientific evidence for general prescription. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf

After a shocking diagnosis that would begin stripping Bob Cafaro of his ability to perform, sheer willpower and changes to his daily life allow him to beat all odds.

Bob Cafaro played chamber music full time and served on the faculty of the University of Virginia until 1983 when he became a regular with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He later joined the Baltimore Symphony and in 1985 became a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1999, Bob was stricken with a virulent case of Multiple Sclerosis, which left him nearly blind and without the use of his hands. Defying what doctors had told him, he made a complete and remarkable recovery and has since written a book, been a member of The Rachmaninov Trio since 2003, and has grown passionate in his involvement with volunteer and outreach activities.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

10th class Indian student creates a device that can predict heart attack in advance

Akash Manoj started reading medical books written by global writers only for fun when he was in the 8th class. And just after two years, this child has taken the medical scientists by surprise as he has developed a device to predict ‘silent’ heart attacks. This disease kills thousands of people every year in India alone.

Just after the complition of his 7th class exams, Akash began to visit fairly well-known libraries in Bangalore and he gradually fell in love with medical novels.

“Journal articles are expensive, so visiting the libraries was the only way I could do it. Otherwise, it would have cost more than a crore (of rupees) for the amount I read. I was always interested in medical science and I liked reading the journals…cardiology is my favourite,” said Manoj.

Investigators narrow in on a microRNA for treating multiple sclerosis

It turns out the gut is full of surprises. And one of those surprises may have offered up a key for unlocking a new way of treating multiple sclerosis (MS). Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have discovered a microRNA—a small RNA molecule—that increases during peak disease in a mouse model of MS and in untreated MS patients. When a synthetic version of the microRNA was orally given to the mice, it prevented disease. While several steps remain before these insights can be translated into therapy for patients, the researchers describe their results as both exciting and unexpected. Their findings are published in Cell Host & Microbe.

“We’ve discovered a new mechanism to regulate the microbiome and treat that hadn’t been known before,” said senior author Howard Weiner, MD, co-director of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at the Brigham. “The is known to play an important role in MS and other diseases. Our findings, which show that a microRNA can be used to target and influence the microbiome with precision, may have applicability for MS and many other diseases, including diabetes, ALS, obesity and cancer.”

Weiner, lead author Shirong Liu, MD, Ph.D., an instructor in the Weiner laboratory, and their colleagues investigated how the altered gut microbiome affects the course of MS. To do so, they studied the microbiome and microRNAs found in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS. Unexpectedly, they found that when they transferred fecal matter from EAE mice at peak disease, it protected the mice who received the transfer. The team found that a specific microRNA, known as miR-30d, rather than live bacteria, was responsible for preventing disease. The investigators found that miR-30d is enriched in untreated, relapsing-remitting MS patients as well.

Irresponsible Marketing Surrounds Telomerase Human Trials in South America

Recently, Libella Gene Therapeutics has announced that it will be running a patient-paid trial in Colombia with an eye-watering $1 million USD price tag on enrollment.

Patient-paid trial likely to cause backlash

The topic of patient-paid trials often stirs up considerable debate among the research community, regulatory authorities, and the general public, with many people suggesting that it is unethical to expect patients to pay to participate in clinical trials. While this is a controversial issue, these trials are a legitimate way to test therapies that would otherwise struggle to reach the clinic due to cost constraints, and the data gathered by such trials can still be valuable.

For the November episode of the Journal Club, Dr. Oliver Medvedik will be reviewing a new study from a team of researchers including Professor George Church

The study saw the deployment of a multiple target gene therapy focused on 3 known longevity genes delivered via an adeno-associated virus. The focus was on mitigating T2 diabetes, heart failure, and kidney failure in mouse models with very positive results observed. Join us on Tuesday, 26th November, 1pm EDT on our Facebook page for the livestream show.