3-person IVF

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 1 Comment
John-Zhang-with-3-person-IVF-baby

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 9 Comments
coverGMO-e1498086048321

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 1 Comment
stem-cell-predictions

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?

February 1, 2021 / By / 5 Comments
John-Zhang-with-3-person-IVF-baby

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 4 Comments
doug-turnbull

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 1 Comment
Herbert-mitochondria-Nature-paper

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 2 Comments
TGIF-science-dart-board

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

February 1, 2021 / By / 1 Comment
Egli-genetic-drift-paper

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

February 1, 2021 / By / Leave a Comment
Paris-Gene-Editing-Meeting

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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