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Articles by Greg Ball
It was a great day in Roxbury
Sometimes, all it takes is someone without any quit in them to get things done. Ruth Batson was one of those people. Batson, a former Boston School Committee candidate and mother of three, was one of the key figures fighting for better education for the city’s Black children. One of the pivotal moments of her fight saw its 60th anniversary late last month. On September 22, 1963, an estimated 8,000 people took to the streets of Roxbury for the March for Better Schools.
Embryonic stem cells used for cartilage regeneration
Embryonic stem cells used for cartilage regeneration 4 October 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1115 Scientists have described a method to create cartilage from human embryonic stem cells. Cartilage is a connective tissue in the body with many uses including cushioning joints. When cartilage breaks down due to injury and ageing, it can result in chronic conditions including arthritis.
Space worms show how gravity can affect genes
Space worms show how gravity can affect genes 30 November 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1074 New research in worms has demonstrated how prolonged exposure to low gravity can alter cells at the genetic level. Humans, and other living organisms, have evolved to function optimally at the gravity level we experience on Earth. Low gravity experienced during extended spaceflight causes health decline in astronauts, having physiological effects on the heart, immune and nervous system among many others.
Podcast Review: The Naked Scientists - Deafness gene identified
Podcast Review: The Naked Scientists – Deafness gene identified 19 October 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1068 After a mere 22 years of study, researchers in the Netherlands have finally pinpointed the genetic cause behind one type of hearing loss. This sounds potentially ground-breaking, so I was excited to learn more about the story in the 'Deafness Gene Identified' podcast, by The Naked Scientists.
Study finds 44 genes linked to hearing loss
Study finds 44 genes linked to hearing loss 30 September 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1017 Researchers have identified 44 genes linked to age-related hearing loss. The discovery may help scientists better understand the genetic component of the condition, as well as identify potential targets for new treatment approaches.
World's first transplanted cornea made from stem cells is success
World's first transplanted cornea made from stem cells is success 9 September 2019 A team in Japan has successfully carried out the world's first transplant of corneal tissue made from human iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells. The patient's vision has improved considerably, said researchers. Professor Kohji Nishida, an ophthalmologist at Osaka University, and colleagues announced their results at a press conference at the campus in Suita, Osaka Prefecture last week.
NHS to provide gene therapy for rare eye disease
NHS to provide gene therapy for rare eye disease 9 September 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1014 An in-body gene therapy has been approved to treat a rare heritable form of blindness. The NHS chief executive Simon Stevens announced a plan to fund the voretigene neparvovec treatment for retinal dystrophy at the Health Innovation Expo conference in Manchester on 4 September.
Gene therapy dissolves scar tissue to heal rat spinal cord, reversing paralysis
A novel approach to gene therapy has restored limb control to rats paralysed after spinal cord injury, new research has found. The rats were given two months of a gene therapy that made cells produce an enzyme that broke down the scar tissue that had formed after injury. This allowed nerve cells to form new connections around the site of the damage.
Promising results from beta-thalassaemia gene therapy trial
A clinical trial that used a new gene therapy to treat beta-thalassemia has shown very promising results. Thalassemia is a group of genetic disorders affecting 280 million people worldwide. The body produces insufficient functional haemoglobin – the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen through the body – resulting in anaemia and, consequently, shortness of breath and tiredness. Most patients need monthly blood transfusions which are costly and can have severe side effects.
Stem cell implant improves dry macular degeneration
A stem cell implant appears to be safe, suggest the results of a clinical trial for the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In dry AMD, a layer of cells beneath the retina that provide light-sensing cells in the eye with nutrients begin to thin. Eventually, the light-sensing cells can die and lead to partial blindness.
Pioneer stem cell therapy restores sight in two blind patients
A ground-breaking new stem cell therapy has restored sight in the first two patients to receive it. The outcome marks a huge step towards curing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness in the UK and the third biggest cause worldwide. Douglas Waters, one of the patients on the trial, told the BBC that ‘in the months before the operation my sight was really poor and I couldn't see anything out of my right eye’, but that he ‘can now read the newspaper’ with it.
Space alters gene expression suggests NASA twins study
Preliminary results from a NASA study on a pair of identical twins suggests that space travel could have long-lasting effects on the human body. While astronaut Scott Kelly’s DNA did not change during his year on the International Space Station (ISS), much of his gene expression – how genetic information is turned into functional molecules in the cell – did change compared with his pre-flight status and that of his twin Mark on Earth.
USA announces $190 million for genome editing research
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a plan to grant US$190 million for genome editing research. The new programme, Somatic Cell Genome Editing, which is supported by the NIH Common Fund will award funds to biomedical researchers over the next six years. 'Genome editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 are revolutionising biomedical research,' said Dr Francis Collins, director of NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.
Human stem cells help paraplegic rats walk again
Paraplegic rats were able to walk after being treated with human stem cells. This is the first time lower body movement has been restored after an animal's spinal cord has been completely severed. After three weeks, sensation returned to the rats' limbs and their spinal cord had started to heal. The use of stem cells may be an effective new method to treat spinal injuries, suggests a study on the findings, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience.
UNESCO's statement on CRISPR/Cas9 highlights the need for public engagement
Dr Camporesi, bioethicist at King's College London (KCL); Dr Marks, historian of medicine, is affiliated to KCL, Cambridge University and UCL and is managing editor of WhatIsBiotechnology.org The UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (IBC) has released a statement reaffirming an earlier moratorium called by a group of US scientists on the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 in human embryos.
Lifespan linked by study to mutations and lifestyle
Weight loss, education, giving up smoking, and being open to new experiences have all been linked to longer life. By combining genetic, lifestyle and family data from 600,000 people, researchers have been able to calculate the effect of specific behaviours on life expectancy. 'You can look directly at the effect of weight, in isolation, on lifespan,' explained author Dr Peter Joshi of the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute.
Over 50 new hearing genes found
Researchers have discovered 52 new genes essential for hearing in mice. The discovery may help scientists understand the genetic component of hearing loss in humans, as well as providing new avenues of research for understanding the mammalian hearing system.
Americans are becoming open to human genome editing
A new survey suggests that Americans are becoming more accepting of the use of genome editing in humans, and that there is strong support for the public to be more involved in discussions on the technology.
Dozens of new gene targets for cancer immunotherapy found with CRISPR
Over a 100 new genes that may be essential for cancer immunotherapy to work have been identified using a new CRISPR-based screen. Immunotherapy is a mode of treatment which uses a patient's own immune system to destroy cancer cells, which can be highly effective for some, but not all, patients.
International genetics groups advocate germline CRISPR research
Research into human germline genome editing should continue, recommends an international group of 11 human genetics organisations. However, such research should not culminate in human pregnancy until important scientific and ethical questions have been answered.
Three mutations could make bird flu transmit better in humans
Scientists have identified three potential genetic mutations that could allow a dangerous strain of avian influenza to spread between humans. The flu strain H7N9 normally affects birds, but is known to have infected at least 1,500 people in outbreaks linked to poultry markets in China.
Sperm in space produce healthy mouse pups on Earth
Mouse sperm stored aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months has been used to produce healthy pups back on Earth. Japanese researchers sent freeze-dried sperm to space to understand the long-term effects of microgravity and radiation exposure on mammalian reproduction and development. The sperm were stored at -95ºC, with researchers also using 'ground control' sperm from the same mice, stored in the same conditions on Earth for the same duration.
Gene therapy success in age-related macular degeneration trial
A small, preliminary clinical trial has demonstrated safe and well-tolerated gene therapy to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This condition is a leading cause of progressive blindness in adults, and is caused by the abnormal growth and leakage of blood vessels in the region of the eye known as the retina. 'Even at the highest dose, the treatment was quite safe.
New mechanisms causing greying hair and baldness uncovered
Scientists have shown how a gene and protein cause greying and hair loss in mice. Though 'accidentally' discovered by scientists researching a form of cancer, the findings pose a new avenue of research into balding and greying hair. 'Although this project was started in an effort to understand how certain kinds of tumours form, we ended up learning why hair turns grey and discovering the identity of the cell that directly gives rise to hair,' said Dr Lu Le of Harold C.
Stem cell therapy reverses paralysis
An experimental stem cell therapy appears to have restored some feeling and limb control in five patients paralysed by spinal cord injuries. The small-scale trial by Asterias Biotherapeutics has surpassed expectations after all five patients showed improvements in arm, hands and finger control within three months of receiving the treatment. One patient even regained some use of his arms and hands, meaning that he could feed himself and operate a phone and a wheelchair.
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