Genetics & Genomics News

One-third of the global population is affected by neurological disease

March 19, 2024 - An estimated 3.40 billion individuals are impacted by 37 nervous system conditions worldwide, noted researchers in a study published in the Lancet Neurology. Collectively, the 37 conditions were the leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years in 2021, increasing 18% from 1990. As the global population continues to age, the nervous system...

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NIH Precision Medicine Data Detects 275 Million New Genetic Variants

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Last week, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program published an article in Nature identifying over 275 million new genetic variants across approximately...

Eli Lilly Gene Therapy Restores Hearing Within 30 Days

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On January 23, 2024, Eli Lilly and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia announced the success of an experimental gene therapy for patients with genetic hearing loss. According to the press...

FDA Expands Approval of CASGEVY for Beta Thalassemia

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On January 16, 2024, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics secured yet another approval for CASGEVY, the first FDA-approved gene therapy in the United States. Last month, the companies’...

FDA Investigates Safety of CAR T-Cell Therapy

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In a safety notice published on November 28, 2022, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an investigation into the safety of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell...

Gene Editing Technology Could Treat Hypercholesterolemia

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On Sunday, November 12, 2023, Verve Therapeutics presented the results of an ongoing clinical trial using gene therapy to treat uncontrolled high cholesterol, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,...

NIH Will Allocate $50.3 Million to Multi-Omics Research Over 5 Years

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On September 12, 2023, the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced it would award $50.3 million to multi-omics research on health and diseases over the next five years. By establishing the...

Researchers Identify Multidrug Chemotherapy Resistant Genes

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On September 4, 2023, a study published in Molecular Cancer identified gene variations that led to multidrug chemoresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. This discovery is...

Are African Individuals at Higher Risk of Parkinson’s Disease?

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Earlier this week, the National Institutes of Health issued a press release suggesting that people of African ancestry are at a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease. The conclusion is based on a...

Researchers Identify a Completed Sequence of the Y Chromosome

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A recent article published in Nature revealed that researchers have finally sequenced the human Y chromosome, marking the final human chromosome to be evaluated. The study, which was funded by the...

Gene Therapy Restores Sight in a Pediatric Patient with DEB

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Alfonso Sabater, MD, PhD, played a significant role in restoring the vision of 14-year-old Antonio Vento, a dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) patient. Alongside two surgical procedures, a recently...

NIH Spends $140 Million to Accelerate Research on Genetic Variations

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On May 11, 2023, the NIH launched one of its newest programs: the Common Fund’s Somatic Mosaicism Across Human Tissues (SMaHT). The program is a $140 million effort to accelerate research on...

Designing Next-Generation Cell and Gene Therapies

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A study published in Stem Cell Reports represents a significant initial stride toward personalized therapies for individuals with incurable neurodegenerative disorders. The novel technique utilizes...

CRISPR Gene Editing and Antiretroviral Therapy Eliminates HIV in Mice

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On May 1, 2023, researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) published a study on a combined therapeutic approach that...

Researchers Discover Anxiety Biomarkers, Developing a Blood Test

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Earlier this month, researchers published a study in Molecular Psychiatry identifying genetic biomarkers for anxiety disorders. The study used a four-step approach to identify objective assessments for...

Genetic Analysis Identifies microRNAs Associated with Diabetes

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A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences (PNAS) determined that types of microRNA (miRNA) detected in human pancreatic cells are associated with type 2 diabetes...

NIH Study Supports Genomic Approach to Addressing Genetic Conditions

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Looking at more than a dozen genotype-first studies, researchers funded by the NIH categorized several benefits of using a genotype-first approach when treating genetic diseases. “We...

Colorectal Cancer Study Identifies New Genetic Links to Disease

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A meta-analysis of colorectal cancer genome-wide associated studies (GWAS) published in Nature identified 37 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at new loci and 13 independent new risk SNPs that...

Genetic Testing May Predict Heart Disease for Women with Lupus

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In a recent press release, AMPEL BioSolutions announced a new genetic test to predict heart disease risk for patients with lupus. Based on a Cell Reports Medicine publication, linked or shared genes...

Most People with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Utilize Gene Therapy

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The Health Union recently conducted a survey called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in America to analyze the lives of people living with SMA in the United States. This rare chronic condition impacts...

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