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Articles by Sam Sherratt
Broad Institute wins CRISPR genome editing patent case
Broad Institute wins CRISPR genome editing patent case 7 March 2022 Appeared in BioNews 1135 The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been awarded the US intellectual property rights for the use of CRISPR/Cas9 by a Patent and Trial Appeal Board (PTAB).
Candidate drug targeting metastasis could stop cancer spreading
Candidate drug targeting metastasis could stop cancer spreading 6 December 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1124 Researchers have identified a molecule that could be used as a drug to prevent metastasis, a process by which cancer can spread and cause death. The molecule, identified by Professor Yibin Kang's research group at Princeton University, New Jersey, inhibits the product of a key metastasis-promoting gene called MTDH and could be used as a drug.
Australia announces conscience vote on mitochondrial donation
Australia announces conscience vote on mitochondrial donation 8 February 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1082 The Australian Parliament is set to have its first vote on legislation permitting the use of mitochondrial donation. A new bill proposes a two-stage approach, legalising the use of mitochondrial donation through an initial pilot site before permitting it in broader clinical practice.
Fertility preservation is effective in female cancer patients
Fertility preservation is effective in female cancer patients 6 July 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1054 The largest study looking at long-term outcomes of fertility preservation in female cancer patients has demonstrated how successful it can be, in particular for breast cancer patients.
Podcast Review: Episode 1: The Gene Gap - What does it mean to be human?
Podcast Review: Episode 1: The Gene Gap - What does it mean to be human? 23 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1040 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a parent of a child with Down's syndrome? In a very raw and informative way, the first episode from the Guardian's The Gene Gap Common Threads series, gives us some insights into the attitudes and experiences of those mostly affected by chromosomal abnormalities.
UN call to stop criminalisation of surrogates in Cambodia
UN call to stop criminalisation of surrogates in Cambodia 18 November 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1024 The UN has called on Cambodia to repeal the criminalisation of surrogates. Cambodia outlawed commercial surrogacy in 2016, following similar bans in India, Nepal and Thailand (see BioNews 915). Last year 30 pregnant surrogates were imprisoned for 'cross-border human trafficking' because they were carrying children for, predominantly Chinese, intended parents.
Epigenetic study reveals facial features of ancient human
Epigenetic study reveals facial features of ancient human 23 September 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1016 The first portrait of the anatomy of an extinct group of ancient humans known as Denisovans has been created based on epigenetic changes. Researchers used a type of epigenetic change, known as methylation, to map differences in DNA over time. By comparing these maps across the genomes of extinct and modern humans, they were able to produce a rough sketch of what a Denisovan might have looked like.
Infertility stress almost doubles the risk of depression in women
Infertility stress almost doubles the risk of depression in women 19 August 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1011 Women who suffer from stress linked to infertility when embarking on assisted reproduction are more likely to be prescribed antidepressants, according to new research.
Gene that cloaks cancer cells from the immune system found
Gene that cloaks cancer cells from the immune system found 22 July 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1007 Researchers have identified a gene, active in the early stages of development, that may help conceal cancers from common immunotherapy treatment.
Healthy lifestyle lowers dementia risk irrespective of genetics
Healthy lifestyle lowers dementia risk irrespective of genetics 15 July 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1006 A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of getting dementia, even in people who have a genetic predisposition, according to a new study. Scientists at the University of Exeter found that people who take regular exercise, eat a balanced diet as well as avoid smoking and heavy drinking are 30 percent less likely to suffer from dementia, irrespective of genetic predisposition.
Dispute resumes as US patent office re-examines CRISPR invention
Dispute resumes as US patent office re-examines CRISPR invention 1 July 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1004 The US patent office has declared an 'interference' – re-opening the long-running dispute between the University of California (UC), Berkeley and the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, over who invented CRISPR genome editing first. In February, the six-year fight over CRISPR patent rights seemed to have been settled, with the US patent office awarding a key patent to UC.
Pharma giant teams up with CRISPR experts for drug discovery
Pharma giant teams up with CRISPR experts for drug discovery 17 June 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1002 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is to partner with leading researchers at the University of California to harness the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool to find new medicines.
Pregnancy stress linked to lower sperm counts in adult sons
Pregnancy stress linked to lower sperm counts in adult sons 3 June 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1000 Sons whose mothers experienced high levels of stress during their first 18 weeks of pregnancy may have reduced fertility when they become adults.
DNA study may have implications for mitochondrial donation
DNA study may have implications for mitochondrial donation 3 June 2019 Appeared in BioNews 1000 Mitochondria are not as interchangeable as originally thought, which may have implications for the selection of donors for mitochondrial donation. The DNA in mitochondria appears to interact with nuclear DNA in a way that suggests they are more closely aligned than previously thought, according to a study in the journal Science.
Board Game Review: The Genomics Game
Board Game Review: The Genomics Game 19 February 2018 Appeared in BioNews 938 It's not often you get to play board games at work. Recently at Guy's Hospital in London, the research nurse team were delighted to try out The Genomics Game, released by the NHS's Genomics Education Programme. The first challenge with any new game is getting to grips with the rules. Luckily the instruction manual and introduction were clear and very straightforward to follow.
US scientists push for mitochondrial donation legalisation
US scientists push for mitochondrial donation legalisation 29 April 2019 Appeared in BioNews 996 Scientists and patient advocates are lobbying US lawmakers to allow mitochondrial donation to be used to help avoid severe mitochondrial disease. A Harvard Law School event on 17 April was the first in a series of meetings to persuade the US government to lift the ban on mitochondrial donation.
Scientists insert human genes to monkey brains
Scientists insert human genes to monkey brains 15 April 2019 Appeared in BioNews 995 Monkeys with an inserted human gene involved in brain development performed better on cognitive tasks, a new study has found. The monkeys had heightened scores in short-term memory tasks and their brains also took longer to develop, compared with monkeys who were not given the gene, known as MCPH1.
First birth after robotic uterus transplant in Sweden
First birth after robotic uterus transplant in Sweden 15 April 2019 Appeared in BioNews 995 The first baby to be born after their mother received a uterus transplant involving surgeon-operated robots has been delivered in Sweden. The uterus transplant was carried out at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in October 2017. Ten months after the procedure, the woman became pregnant via IVF. The pregnancy was free of complications, and a baby boy was delivered by caesarean section on 8 April.
WHO calls for global human genome editing research registry
WHO calls for global human genome editing research registry 25 March 2019 Appeared in BioNews 992 An advisory committee to the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a global registry to track all research involving human genome editing, during its first meeting in Geneva. The main aim for the registry is to 'increase accountability of scientific researchers around the world', said Dr Margaret Hamburg, the committee's co-chair and foreign secretary of the US National Academy of Medicine.
Call for temporary ban on heritable genome editing in humans
Call for temporary ban on heritable genome editing in humans 18 March 2019 Appeared in BioNews 991 A group of international experts is calling for a moratorium on the clinical use of germline genome editing in humans. Led by Professor Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, 17 scientists and ethicists from seven countries made the call in the journal Nature.
China drafts new regulations on 'high risk' biomedical technologies
China drafts new regulations on 'high risk' biomedical technologies 4 March 2019 Appeared in BioNews 989 The Chinese government has announced new regulations on genomic technologies in response to a Chinese scientist's claim to have created genome-edited babies. The reforms, announced on Tuesday by the Chinese National Health Commission, target 'high-risk biomedical technologies' and will apply to both germline and somatic cell research.
WHO forms human genome editing panel in wake of controversy
WHO forms human genome editing panel in wake of controversy 18 February 2019 Appeared in BioNews 987 The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening an 18-member committee of scientific experts from around the globe next month with the goal of developing international standards for the oversight of human genome editing.
First in-body genome editing trial delivers mixed results
First in-body genome editing trial delivers mixed results 11 February 2019 Appeared in BioNews 986 The first in vivo genome editing therapy has been successful in editing patients' DNA, but has not shown a clinical benefit. US biotech firm Sangamo Therapeutics used genome editing to introduce a working copy of a faulty gene into patients with a rare inherited disorder, Hunter syndrome.
UK expert meets with minister on 10-year egg freezing limit
UK expert meets with minister on 10-year egg freezing limit 28 January 2019 Appeared in BioNews 984 Fertility experts are campaigning for the UK government to review current legislation which means women who freeze their eggs must use them within 10 years. After this time limit, labelled as 'arbitrary' by experts, women are required to destroy the eggs.
Cautious optimism at the first live birth after womb transplant from deceased donor
Cautious optimism at the first live birth after womb transplant from deceased donor 17 December 2018 Appeared in BioNews 980 The news broke on the 4 December 2018 that clinicians had achieved a successful pregnancy and live birth following a uterus transplant from a deceased donor. This has been heralded worldwide as groundbreaking for uterus transplantation, and gives credence to clinical trials persisting with deceased donation, despite previous attempts failing.
First baby born from womb transplant from deceased donor
10 December 2018 The world's first baby has been born from a uterus transplanted into a woman from a dead donor. A handful of uterus transplants have been performed and have resulted in successful childbirths since the first one in Sweden in 2013, but these have always been from living donors. There have been ten other attempts at transplanting a uterus from a deceased donor to achieve a childbirth, but none of these has been successful.
Cambodia arrests 11 more surrogates, as Australian nurse released
19 November 2018 A total of 18 people, including 11 pregnant women, arrested in Cambodia have been charged with offences relating to human trafficking for allegedly engaging in surrogacy for foreign couples. Cambodia banned surrogacy in 2016 (see BioNews 876), after neighbouring Thailand did the same for foreign nationals the year before. Human trafficking is punishable with seven to 15 years imprisonment by Cambodian law.
Prenatal tests provide largest genetic study of Chinese people
The largest genetic analysis of China's population to date has been carried out on over 140,000 pregnant women, revealing new insights into migration patterns and disease risk in Chinese people. The study, published in the journal Cell, harnessed the results of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) which is used in pregnancy to test for fetal abnormalities. It works by collecting small fragments of fetal DNA – known as cfDNA, present in the blood of pregnant women.
'Molecular signature' of childhood trauma discovered in men's sperm
Scientists have discovered alterations in the sperm cell DNA of adult men who had been abused as children. Men who had experienced childhood abuse carried epigenetic markers – which alter gene expression – that appeared to be linked to their early-life trauma. 'We can look at our study as one small piece in the huge overall puzzle of how intergeneration trauma works,' said study author Nicole Gladish, a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
Genome editing works in mitochondrial DNA for first time
Two research groups have, for the first time, used genome editing to successfully treat mitochondrial disease in animals. As well as possible future treatments for humans, the hope is this approach may one day provide an alternative for mitochondrial replacement therapy used in IVF to produce babies free of mitochondrial disease.
Broad Institute wins key CRISPR patent battle
A US appeal court judgment in favour of the Broad Institute may mark the close of the long-running dispute over the US patent for the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in animal and plant cells. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington issued the ruling on 10 September 2018 after hearing arguments in April (see BioNews 948).
Freeze eggs before 35 for IVF success, says UK report
The age at which a woman freezes her eggs has a significant impact on IVF success when they are thawed, suggests a new report by the UK's fertility regulator. The report, by the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), looked at data from UK fertility clinics between 2010-2016. It concluded that women should freeze their eggs before the age of 35 for the chance of conception with IVF to be higher than the chance of natural conception as they get older.
CRISPR used to tackle antibiotic resistance
A new approach to kill bacteria has been developed using genome editing, bypassing the need for antibiotics. Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, edited the genome of the bacteria E. coli to manipulate the expression of several genes. This multi-pronged attack debilitated the bacterium by putting it under increasing levels of stress within the cell.
Spanish families stranded in Ukraine in surrogacy limbo
Nearly 30 Spanish families are unable to leave Ukraine with their surrogate-born infants, as they have been unable to register the births with the Consular Civil Registry of the Spanish Embassy in Kiev. There have been major delays to the previously straightforward process of registering births at the embassy, since July. Without registration, the families are unable to travel home to Spain with their children.
'Freeze all' policy for embryos not always best for IVF
A study looking at whether frozen or fresh embryo transfers yield the best outcomes for IVF patients has found that the best technique varies from person to person, depending on their cycle so far. The paper published in Fertility and Sterility investigated the success of the techniques in nearly 83,000 first-time IVF patients between 2014 and 2015. Around 83 percent of patients had a fresh transfer for their first IVF cycle versus 17 percent who had a frozen transfer.
Special rules for US gene therapy trials relaxed
US gene therapy trials will now be treated like other clinical trials, as the National Institutes for Health (NIH) step back from regulating them. Although the change removes one layer of regulation, gene therapy trials will still need to meet US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety and ethical requirements and, as with all clinical research, regulatory approvals must be in place before a gene therapy trial can proceed.
Let's get fertility preservation right for everyone
The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission is threatening legal action if 'outdated' NHS policies, which it says discriminate against the transgender community, are not changed urgently. Specifically, it is concerned that trans people should have equal access to fertility preservation services. Of course, anyone whose reproductive potential is threatened by the treatment they need should have an equal opportunity to access fertility preservation. But equal to what?
Doctors warn of ignoring downsides of social egg freezing
Women who freeze their eggs for social reasons need to be better informed about the potential difficulties of the process, experts from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have warned.
A different CRISPR enzyme may make genome editing sharper
The key enzyme used in CRISPR genome editing has competition. The enzyme Cas12a is more precise for use in genome editing than the currently widely-adopted Cas9, suggests research published in Molecular Cell. Concerns over the accuracy of CRISPR/Cas9 were raised by research last year (see BioNews 903).
Radio Review: Boston Calling - Baby Guaranteed
This statement from Dr Olga Gajovic, a Ukrainian feminist and activist, to me is probably the most memorable piece of the Boston Calling episode 'Baby Guaranteed', on BBC World Service. The 26-minute programme contrasts the stories of couples seeking surrogacy with the women who carry the babies. After a brief introduction on surrogacy terminology, the first part focuses on the Smiths, an American couple from South Pasadena, California, who had been trying to conceive a child.
Lebanon becomes tenth country to perform uterus transplant
A team of doctors have successfully completed Lebanon's first ever uterus transplant. The Lebanese medics, who worked alongside a Swedish team, performed the procedure at the Bellevue Medical Centre in Mansourieh. The successful surgery has made Lebanon the tenth country to perform the complex procedure.
DNA damage from CRISPR 'underestimated'
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing may cause greater genetic damage to cells than previously believed, according to a new study. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge published the findings in the journal Nature Biotechnology on 16 July. The study concluded that the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in either mouse or human cells can lead to unintended deletions of large sections of DNA, as well as complex rearrangements in genetic structure.
Pregnant Cambodian surrogates charged with human trafficking
At least 32 pregnant Cambodian women have been charged for involvement in human trafficking. The charges come after five suspected leaders of the surrogacy operation, including Cambodian and Chinese nationals, were charged with human trafficking. The women, who were previously discovered to carry babies for Chinese clients in an illegal surrogacy ring (see BioNews 956), are being held in detention before trial. Some of the women are in their seventh or eighth month of pregnancy.
Australian Senate publishes report on mitochondrial donation
Australia may become the second nation to legalise mitochondrial donation, after its Senate endorsed the so-called 'three-person IVF' technique in a recent report. The technique is already legal in the UK and allows women with mitochondrial disease and their partners have genetically related children, without the risk of passing on the condition.
Cambodia raid finds 33 pregnant surrogates, with trafficking charges brought
Police in Cambodia have discovered 33 pregnant women who were working as part of an illegal surrogacy operation in Phnom Penh. The women are not currently facing criminal charges but five other people have been arrested in connection with the operation, including a Chinese man believed to be in charge.
UC Berkeley to gain two US CRISPR patents
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has decided to grant two new CRISPR patents to the University of California, Berkeley. On June 12, the USPTO granted Berkeley a patent on using CRISPR/Cas9 to edit single-stranded RNA. According to a STAT news report, a second patent related to the use of CRISPR to edit genetic material that is specifically 10-15 base-pairs long will also be awarded to Berkeley this week.
First UK womb transplant to take place this year
The charity Womb Transplant UK has announced that it will carry out the first womb transplant in the UK by the end of 2018, with living as well as deceased donors. Consultant gynaecologist Dr Richard Smith, who leads the charity's research team, has already had permission to start the transplant programme using organs from ten deceased donors. Now an additional five procedures using tissue from living donors has been approved.
CRISPR scientists win prestigious $1m Kavli award
Three scientists will share the US$1 million 2018 Kavli prize in Nanoscience 'for the invention of CRISPR/Cas9, a precise nanotool for editing DNA, causing a revolution in biology, agriculture, and medicine'.
Act to widen fertility care access goes to US House and Senate
A bill has been introduced into the US Senate and House of Representatives, which, if passed, would significantly widen access to fertility treatment. Under the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act, private insurers and government-run healthcare plans for federal and military employees and would be required to cover infertility treatment without raising premiums. Fertility preservation for medical reasons would also be guaranteed.
Gene protecting against leukaemia found in males
Scientists have discovered the first male-only gene that appears to protect against cancers including leukaemia. In a study published in Nature Genetics, researchers set out to study a gene called UTX which is found on the X chromosome that is known to be mutated in several cancers including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). However, they discovered that a related gene found on the Y chromosome, UTY, protected male mice from AML.
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