Press monitoring
Gene-edited pigs show signs of resistance to major viral disease
27.2.2017 | Press monitoring
Scientists have produced pigs that may be protected from an infection that costs the swine industry billions each year. The team have used advanced genetic techniques to produce pigs that are potentially resilient to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). Early tests have revealed that cells from the pigs are completely resistant...
How to stop brain cancer—with rabies
24.2.2017 | Press monitoring
A ruthless killer may soon help brain cancer patients. The rabies virus, which kills tens of thousands of people a year, has a rare ability to enter nerve cells and use them as a conduit to infect brain tissue. Now, scientists are trying to mimic this strategy to ferry tumor-killing nanoparticles into brain tumors. So far the approach has been...
The smallest Cas9 genetic scissors (so far)
22.2.2017 | Press monitoring
Scientists at the Center for Genome Engineering, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), in collaboration with KIM Eunji (ToolGen Inc.) and KIM Jeong Hun (Seoul National University) have engineered the smallest CRISPR-Cas9 to date, delivered it to the muscle cells and in the eyes of mice via adeno-associated viruses (AAV) and used it to...
A nanofiber matrix for healing
20.2.2017 | Press monitoring
A new nanofiber-on-microfiber matrix could help produce more and better quality stem cells for disease treatment and regenerative therapies. A matrix made of gelatin nanofibers on a synthetic polymer microfiber mesh may provide a better way to culture large quantities of healthy human stem cells. Developed by a team of researchers led by...
Induced pluripotent stem cells don\'t increase genetic mutations
17.2.2017 | Press monitoring
Despite its immense promise, adoption of iPSCs in biomedical research and medicine has been slowed by concerns that these cells are prone to increased numbers of genetic mutations. A new study by scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), suggests that iPSCs do not develop more mutations than cells that are duplicated by...
Plant-made virus shells could deliver drugs directly to cancer cells
15.2.2017 | Press monitoring
Viruses are extremely efficient at targeting and delivering cargo to cells. Researchers report they have harnessed this well-honed ability -- minus the part that makes us sick -- to develop virus-like nanoparticles to deliver drugs straight to affected cells. In lab tests, they show that one such particle can be produced in plants and it ferries...
Lab-made mini-brains are sprouting their own blood vessels
13.2.2017 | Press monitoring
In 2015, scientists at Brown University developed "mini-brains," models of living brains created from 3D cultures of neural cells. Like organs-on-chips, these models could help reduce our reliance on animal testing in the search for new treatments and drugs, and make early results more accurate. Now, the researchers have discovered something...
Review published in Nature Reviews Urology advises antibiotic resistance testing for M. genitalium sexually transmitted infection and potential \"superbug\"
13.2.2017 | Press monitoring
Review published in Nature Reviews Urology advises antibiotic resistance testing for M. genitalium sexually transmitted infection and potential "superbug"; SpeeDx ResistancePlus(TM) MG...
Blood test could catch pancreatic cancer before it’s too late
10.2.2017 | Press monitoring
A new blood test that detects pancreatic cancer in its early stages may reduce the deadliness of the disease. Pancreatic cancer is known as the “silent killer” because it is usually too advanced to treat by the time symptoms arise. Only 5 per cent of people diagnosed with it are still alive five years later, compared with 90 per cent of those...
Tuberculosis-resistant cows developed for the first time using CRISPR technology
8.2.2017 | Press monitoring
CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology has been used for the first time to successfully produce live cows with increased resistance to bovine tuberculosis The researchers, from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi, China, used a modified version of the CRISPR gene-editing technology to insert a new gene into the...
