Efficiently translating genomic research into the clinic is one of the most important steps in the development of the field. The clinic is where we will see things come to fruition.
Just one mutation in the ‘Dark DNA’ of the genome could drive the progression of a range of cancers. Dark DNA is the 98% of the genome that does not code for any proteins. Laxmi Parida, a Dark DNA researcher, describes it as ‘the part of the DNA that we – the scientific community – […]
51% of child cancer patients in a recent trial had gene mutations in their tumours that could be targeted by an existing adult cancer drug. However, due to clinical obstacles only 7% were able to receive the relevant drug, raising concerns about the lack of cancer therapies available for children. Treating cancer in children is […]
Front Line Genomics hosted the webinar Improved Methods for CRISPR Homology-Directed Repair Using Alt-R HDR Enhancer and ssDNA Donors with Optimized Design, which you can watch on demand for free here. The webinar described how to overcome some of the bottlenecks to using the CRISPR-Cas9 for genome manipulation and ensure its efficacy in a clinical […]
The Digital DNA series explores the role of large-scale genetic testing in science, industry and society. We aim to understand both the benefits and risks of this emerging technology and see what the future may hold. We talked to Dr. David Bick, Clinical Geneticist at the Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine and Chief Medical […]
Dr Michelle Krishnan, Translational Medicine Leader in Rare Diseases at Roche, will by speaking at our upcoming Festival of Genomics. Her talk Clinical Development in Rare Diseases: Angelman Syndrome, From Disease Biology Insights to Genomic Medicine, will explain how to leverage disease biology insights to drive development of genomic medicines and discuss the cutting-edge clinical trial […]
A new ground-breaking project in the fight against life-threatening illnesses has launched today. The £200 million whole genome sequencing project is being created, forming a partnership of pharmaceutical firms and health experts which will examine and sequence the genetic code of 500,000 volunteers at the UK Biobank, based in Stockport. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: […]
Despite vast progress in leveraging the CRISPR-Cas9 system for genome manipulation, bottlenecks still remain. Overcoming these bottlenecks is critical to ensure the efficacy of this technology in a clinical context. Several engineering approaches involve inducing a double -stranded break (DSB) to introduce new mutations, which are then repaired by the endogenous cellular machinery. The two […]
CRISPR-Cas proteins introduce double-stranded breaks (DSBs) at targeted genomic loci. These are repaired by endogenous cellular pathways such as non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR). Providing a ssDNA template during repair allows researchers to introduce a desired mutation precisely, by utilizing the HDR pathway. However, rates of HDR are often low compared to […]
The Digital DNA series explores the role of large-scale genetic testing in science, industry and society. We aim to understand both the benefits and risks of this emerging technology and see what the future may hold. We talked to Jill Davies, CEO of GeneMatters. The company provides genetic counselling to patients through a telehealth platform […]
A reversible chemical technique can separate sperm carrying X chromosomes from sperm carrying Y chromosomes to select the offspring sex of mice. Cells from male mammals contain both an X and Y chromosome. However, sperm cells contain either an X or Y chromosome. As the female egg cell always contains an X chromosome, sperm that […]
When cancer cells break off from their initial tumour they can spread throughout the body and invade other organs to form new tumours, in a process known as metastasis. Metastatic tumours cause patients to develop stage IV or advanced cancer and are responsible for over 90% of deaths in cancer patients. In the past, cancer […]
A new technique to analyse the tumour DNA present in patient’s blood circulations is an effective method to monitor breast cancer progression. The technique has been shown to give a hundred-fold improvement in the detection limit for tumour DNA. Analysis of the DNA that the tumour sheds into the bloodstream provides a non-invasive means of […]
A gene discovery has explained why current Alzheimer’s drugs don’t work for lots of patients, and why so many new drugs fail in clinical trials. The acetylcholine receptor α7nAChR has long been a target of interest for Alzheimer’s drugs. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is involved in memory and learning processes. Despite acetylcholine being linked to the […]
A rare and difficult to cure bone cancer in children has been found to have significant genetic similarities with the same type of cancer in dogs. This insight could improve understanding of the disease and lead the development of more effective treatments. Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare bone cancer in children, but relatively common in […]
The study of epitranscriptomics has ramifications for better understanding disease symptoms and pushing forward drug treatment. But it’s also an emerging area still misunderstood by many. FLG spoke to Dr Samie Jaffrey, Professor of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, about the field.
