3-person IVF Archives

FDA chides US doc who genetically modified human embryo in reported 3-person IVF

August 4, 2017 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

The FDA sent a stern letter today to Dr. John Zhang, PhD, MD, the physician who last year created a genetically modified human embryo in the U.S. and then exported it to Mexico where he self-reported creating a genetically modified baby boy. While the genetically modified baby created in Mexico was reportedly seemingly OK, it’s not clear …

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CRISPR, human genetic modification, & a needed course correction

June 26, 2017 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 9 Comments

Are designer babies made using CRISPR or other genetic modification technologies closer to reality today? If so, what exactly should we do about it? Researchers can use CRISPR to genetically modify just about any organism or its cells, but targeting humans is the subject of the most intense discussion including using CRISPR in the human germline …

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Stem Cell Predictions for 2017

December 29, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 7 Comments

Each year I make a list of predictions for the stem cell and regenerative medicine field for the coming new year. Later in this post I list my top 20 stem cell predictions for 2017. In looking at my past predictions I realized this will now be my 7th year doing stem cell/regenerative medicine yearly predictions. …

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Grading my stem cell predictions for 2016: how’d I do?

December 26, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

Below are the 2016 stem cell predictions I made last year and their status now color-coded near year’s end. Green is right, orange is mixed bag, and red is flat out wrong. Overall, I did better than most past years with only having entirely blown it on four. Stay tuned later this week for my 2017 predictions, …

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First 3-person IVF baby born via “rogue” experiment at Mexico clinic?

September 27, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 5 Comments

Today we got the first report of a baby being born via so-called “3-person IVF”, sometimes called 3-parent IVF, in which the DNA of three people contribute to an offspring. Before discussing this further I have to emphasize that we need proof that this is indeed really a 3-person IVF baby via genetic testing. Until that …

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Hyped Nature paper & author knighthood 2 days later raise red flags

June 12, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 4 Comments

Was an intensely hyped Nature paper connected to the subsequent knighthood for one of the authors just two days after publication? It’s hard to imagine there isn’t a connection and such a link is bad news for biomedical science. Professor Doug Turnbull and fellow UK authors published a Nature paper a few days ago that reinforced a …

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New Herbert lab Nature paper reinforces mitochondrial replacement Achilles heel

June 8, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

Today a new Nature paper from Dr. Mary Herbert’s group in the UK has found a key problem with mitochondrial replacement therapy that fits with data from others. The goal of preventing mitochondrial disease using various kinds of genome transfer technologies is a noble one, but mitochondrial replacement therapy has faced a number of technological …

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TGIF Science: funding, CRISPR v. NgAgo, secrets, Zika, & more

May 20, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 2 Comments

Some stuff on my mind for our TGIF Science this week. Research Funding Ups: NIH. Is it my imagination or is NIH funding slightly improving? This is the overall vibe I’m hearing from the trenches. Research Funding Ups and Downs: CIRM. CIRM funded some basic research to the tune of a total of $4 million, …

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UK should freeze mitochondrial replacement as Egli paper ID’s serious problem

May 19, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 1 Comment

An important new Cell Stem Cell paper from Dieter Egli’s lab points to an inherent, serious problem with so-called 3-person IVF or mitochondrial replacement technology that warrants putting an immediate hold on all efforts to use it in humans. I have pasted the graphical abstract from the paper below. For years a few of us scientists and …

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In Depth Report from April 29th Paris Human Gene Edit Meeting

May 11, 2016 February 1, 2021 / By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

Editor’s note. Caroline Simons attended both the April 28th (see her report on that here) and 29th Paris meetings on human gene editing/genetic modification. Today, we have her in depth report on the April 29th meeting. I have posted her piece in full with only minor edits. If you are in a rush you can …

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