It’s still too soon to try to make genetically edited babies because the science isn’t advanced enough to ensure safety, says an international panel of experts who also mapped a pathway for any countries that want to consider it. Mainstream scientists condemned his experiment as unethical, and He was sentenced…
Light-activated ‘CRISPR’ triggers precision gene editing and super-fast DNA repair
In a series of experiments using human cancer cell lines, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used light as a trigger to make precise cuts in genomic material rapidly, using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR, and observe how specialized cell proteins repair the exact spot where…
Study into DNA biology could impact future anti-cancer therapies
A study by the Centre for Chromosome Biology at NUI Galway, Ireland, in partnership with the University of Zurich, has uncovered new insights into how the replication of DNA occurs which can be applied to help develop novel cancer treatments. The breakthrough research looked at a protein called CDC7 which…
Adopted Texas man, 71, meets biological sisters after submitting DNA kit: 'I just lost it'
71-year-old Dennis Blackstone finally found members of his biological family thanks to a DNA testing kit 71-year-old Dennis Blackstone finally found members of his biological family thanks to a DNA testing kit. After 70 years of separation, he was united with his siblings in Dallas, Texas. After years of searching,…
Researchers discover DNA variants significantly influence body fat distribution
A new breakthrough from the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits consortium, which includes many public health researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, identifies multiple genetic variants associated with how the body regulates and distributes body-fat tissue. The new findings broaden the understanding of how genes can…
Anticancer immunity through tumor antigen identification and conversion to DNA vaccines
Wistar scientists and collaborators demonstrated the utility of an optimized synthetic DNA vaccine platform for rapidly inducing immunity against unique combinations of tumor neoantigens. These results reveal a direct pathway to effectively tackling the tumor variability that presents enormous challenges for the development of effective immune strategies. This study, published…
Chinese Scientist Who Created Gene-Edited Babies Lied and Skirted Regulations, Officials Say
The researcher who created genetically modified babies behaved improperly, authorities in China said yesterday (Jan. 21). Jiankui He, the Chinese scientist whose efforts produced the world's first gene-edited babies, did so through forgery and subterfuge, deliberately skirting the proper channels in the pursuit of personal fame, officials in China told…
Chinese gene-editing experiment has lost touch with its patients
Chinese scientists who edited human genes have lost touch with the patients whose DNA they tweaked, report says At least one team of Chinese scientists have edited human genes but lost track of the patients Experts warn the follow-up is just as key as the experiment itself The uproar comes…
Scientists discover cannabis alters the DNA of sperm
Men should stop smoking cannabis for at least SIX MONTHS before trying to start a family because the drug alters the DNA of their sperm and ‘may pose a risk to their children’ Changes occur in the DNA that code for growth and organ development These genetic mutations have even…