Stem cells: One more roadblock removed from the path to practical induced pluripotency

Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 3 days (blog.wired.com)

This team from the Whitehead Institute for Biological Research has moved induced pluripotent stem cells one step closer to maturity. Using a two-pronged approach, they used a virus to insert the genes into mouse cells, but employ a drug to switch them on and off. This makes hte cells less likely to turn cancerous. The process is written up in Nature Biotechnology. Unlike previous iPS techniques, this produces a culture of genetically identical cells, something that iPS to date had not yet been able to do

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UGA research may lead to safer, more effective gene therapy

sea-maid submitted, created time 3 months 1 week (esciencenews.com)

The potential of gene therapy has long been hampered by the risks associated with using viruses as vectors to deliver healthy genes, but a new University of Georgia study helps...

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Optimization of Self-complementary AAV Vectors for Liver-directed Expression Results in Sustained Correction of Hemophilia B at Low Vector Dose

davidd submitted, created time 7 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

The article represents adeno-associated virus vectors optimiztion for potential application in future hemophilia B clinical trials and liver-directed gene delivery.
These studies underscore the need for rigorous analysis and optimization of vector genome cassettes.

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Gene Therapy Cancers Prompt Design of Safer Virus

Eric wu submitted, created time 8 months 3 weeks (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

The announcement last month that a fifth child who received gene therapy for an immune system disease has developed leukemia was the latest blow to the field of gene therapy. But there's new hope: The U.K. team running the trial reports this week that a safer formulation of the treatment can cure the disease in mice and should also work in people.
This may be a new angle to prove security of gene therapy......

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