A man in Germany has been cleared of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to researchers, after receiving a stem cell transplant from an HIV-resistant donor. The 53-year-old man, known as the “Düsseldorf patient,” received a stem cell transplant within his bone marrow in 2018, and has remained HIV-free since. Administered in conjunction with an already well-known treatment, antiretroviral therapy (ART), the transplant seems to have eliminated all traces of HIV stored throughout the man’s body. Antiretroviral Therapy In recent years, patients with HIV have experienced a reduction in t ..read more

A man in Germany has been cleared of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to researchers, after receiving a stem cell transplant from an HIV-resistant donor. The 53-year-old man, known as the “Düsseldorf patient,” received a stem cell transplant within his bone marrow in 2018, and has remained HIV-free since. Administered in conjunction with an already well-known treatment, antiretroviral therapy (ART), the transplant seems to have eliminated all traces of HIV stored throughout the man’s body. Antiretroviral Therapy In recent years, patients with HIV have experienced a reduction in t ..read more

Recent years have seen increased research interest in the potential of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cancer therapies. This approach uses genetic engineering to modify T cells from a person with cancer so that the cells will make CARs, proteins that can detect cancer cells and identify them as targets for killer T cells. Although such treatments have the potential to help patients achieve sustained remission, their success so far has been limited to the treatment of leukemias, lymphomas, and myelomas. However, a pair of studies has found that “hacking” the immune cells via genetic engineer ..read more

Funding unlocked during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many countries in Asia and Africa to perform in-house genome sequencing, resulting in faster results and action that can help stem the spread of disease. Previously, samples would be sent to distant labs for analysis. Now, many countries are using the increased capacity to analyze samples from other outbreaks, including cholera, Ebola, polio, and malaria. However, researchers warn that continued funding is necessary to maintain the surveillance equipment, purchase supplies, and provide necessary training for sequencing samples other than SA ..read more

Investors are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into research designed to minimize the harms of aging through genetic engineering. The San Diego-based biotech, Rejuvenate Bio, added to the flurry of research in this area with a preprint article (not peer-reviewed) that appeared on the bioRxiv website. In the paper, Rejuvenate scientists presented the widely anticipated results of their cell reprogramming research in mice. They concluded that the findings “engender cautious optimism that a partial rejuvenation therapy can be safely delivered in humans.” Extending Life and Health The goal ..read more

The events of the COVID-19 pandemic have largely upended how we perceive and respond to global viral threats. One positive change is the technology that has been developed throughout the pandemic’s course and the promise it holds for the future of vaccine development. For example, fears of new pandemics, and experiences with past ones, are now encouraging researchers to develop a broader, more comprehensive preventative response to influenza in an effort to stave off the spread of new and more harmful strains of the virus. A Novel Way of Confronting an Old Threat Over the course of the past c ..read more

Recent years have seen increased research interest in the potential of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cancer therapies. This approach uses genetic engineering to modify T cells from a person with cancer so that the cells will make CARs, proteins that can detect cancer cells and identify them as targets for killer T cells. Although such treatments have the potential to help patients achieve sustained remission, their success so far has been limited to the treatment of leukemias, lymphomas, and myelomas. However, a pair of studies has found that “hacking” the immune cells via genetic engineer ..read more

Funding unlocked during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed many countries in Asia and Africa to perform in-house genome sequencing, resulting in faster results and action that can help stem the spread of disease. Previously, samples would be sent to distant labs for analysis. Now, many countries are using the increased capacity to analyze samples from other outbreaks, including cholera, Ebola, polio, and malaria. However, researchers warn that continued funding is necessary to maintain the surveillance equipment, purchase supplies, and provide necessary training for sequencing samples other than SA ..read more

Investors are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into research designed to minimize the harms of aging through genetic engineering. The San Diego-based biotech, Rejuvenate Bio, added to the flurry of research in this area with a preprint article (not peer-reviewed) that appeared on the bioRxiv website. In the paper, Rejuvenate scientists presented the widely anticipated results of their cell reprogramming research in mice. They concluded that the findings “engender cautious optimism that a partial rejuvenation therapy can be safely delivered in humans.” Extending Life and Health The goal ..read more

The events of the COVID-19 pandemic have largely upended how we perceive and respond to global viral threats. One positive change is the technology that has been developed throughout the pandemic’s course and the promise it holds for the future of vaccine development. For example, fears of new pandemics, and experiences with past ones, are now encouraging researchers to develop a broader, more comprehensive preventative response to influenza in an effort to stave off the spread of new and more harmful strains of the virus. A Novel Way of Confronting an Old Threat Over the course of the past c ..read more