Editing the genetic material of human embryos was a first — and the April 18 publication of the results set off a cascade of awe and controversy. George Daley, professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology, is quoted.
So when a Chinese team revealed last month that it had used a new laboratory technique to alter a gene in human embryos, it set off an urgent debate over the ethics — and wisdom — of tinkering with the most basic building blocks of life. George Church, Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics, is quoted.
A gene therapy that helped restore sight in patients with a rare form of childhood blindness appears to wane with time, a sign the cutting-edge field may not be able to cure some ailments with a single course of treatment. Eric A. Pierce, Solman and Libe Friedman Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, is quoted.
One thing that is known about the placebo effect is that it involves several brain systems, each under the control of a particular type of messenger molecule, called a neurotransmitter. These systems, like everything else in the body, are regulated by genes. This has led some researchers to ask whether different versions of the genes in question might modulate a person’s susceptibility to placebos. Kathryn Hall, research fellow in medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, led the research.
James Recht, assistant professor of psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, authored this letter to the editor about university campaigns for “sustainable investments” vs. divestment from companies that mine fossil fuels
Harvard scientists have created a “bionic leaf” that converts solar energy into a liquid fuel. The work—a proof of concept in an exciting new field that might be termed biomanufacturing. Pamela Silver, Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, led the research.
As researchers conduct the most rigorous human trials of cardiac cell therapies yet attempted, a clear picture of whether these treatments actually work is imminent. Richard Lee, professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
Congress has over the past few decades passed a series of special approval pathways for important drugs that treat life-threatening or rare diseases. This week, a new bill introduced in the House could add two more. Aaron Kesselheim, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
In recent years, vitamin D has gained a reputation for being a miracle nutrient of sorts— boasting benefits from improving physical and mental wellbeing. But as more research emerges, just how vast the vitamin’s value is has become the subject of scientific debate. JoAnn Manson, Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.
Imagine what it must have been like to look through the first telescopes or the first microscopes, or to see the bottom of the sea as clearly as if the water were gin. This is how students of human prehistory are starting to feel, thanks to a new ability to study ancient DNA extracted from bodies and bones in archaeological sites. David Reich, professor of genetics, is mentioned.
A combination of three HIV drugs does a remarkably good job fighting Ebola in the laboratory, according to new research. . Eric Campbell, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
Researchers are finding clues about the metabolism in human urine – most recently in more than 2,000 samples kept frozen in the basement of Imperial College, in London. Robert Gerszten, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
