Rare-disease doctors support expanded newborn genomic screening, survey finds
Plummeting costs of DNA sequencing technologies are injecting urgency into the longstanding debate over whether…
Category: genetics
STAT+: Doudna talks cost, access issues looming over first CRISPR therapy
Jennifer Doudna may be just months away from seeing the first CRISPR-based therapy gain approval,…
STAT+: Gene therapy has helped boys like Conner walk. Scientists are trying to keep it that way
In the beginning, Conner Curran ran up the stairs. It was a miraculous moment for…
Vast sequencing project begins to unlock human genome’s secrets — by deciphering other mammals’ DNA
Despite decades of advancements in genomics, we still don’t know what most of our DNA…
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STAT+: Early findings in gene therapy death suggest CRISPR was not the cause
In February, four months after the first patient in a designer CRISPR therapy suddenly died,…
Opinion: Where are the guidelines for the production of animals with intentional genomic alterations?
Genetic engineering has the potential to transform how we raise animals for meat and other products, making…
STAT+: A bellwether moment: Once a distant dream, gene therapy for Duchenne nears historic decision
Brent and Sabina Furbee could see something was wrong with their son, Emerson, even if…
STAT+: FDA staff leaned toward rejecting Sarepta gene therapy before top official intervened
Reviewers at the Food and Drug Administration were leaning toward rejecting a closely watched gene…
Large European study underlines power of genomic sequencing to diagnose diseases
LONDON — Using genome sequencing greatly expanded the number of diagnoses researchers could provide for…
Opinion: Why genetic testing should always be offered to children with neurodevelopmental differences
At 10 months old, my daughter Gabrielle had missed key milestones for gross motor, fine…
Opinion: In a world of synthetic biology, publishing virus DNA sequences may mean perishing
The wholly synthetic mRNA vaccines for Covid-19 saved nearly 20 million lives in just their…
STAT+: A young boy’s nightmare diagnosis, and the $3 million one-time treatment that will likely save his life
When the long-awaited moment arrived, a nurse helped Adam Hess loosen a tiny plastic clamp…
STAT+: A devastating skin condition could soon get its first medication, as the frontiers of gene therapy expand
Wounds have been a constant fact of Aaron Owens’ life. His skin is so fragile…
Genetic differences in breast tumors may contribute to racial disparities
Clinicians know the odds tend to be stacked against Black breast cancer patients. They get…
Opinion: Why the rise of DNA testing is creating challenges — and an opportunity
Twenty years ago, virtually all people seeking genetic testing were individuals diagnosed with diseases possibly…
STAT+: Researchers devise new strategies to overcome a key CRISPR flaw
DALLAS — It took just three years, after the tool’s invention, for researchers to devise…
Stanford scientist who broke genome sequencing record on what faster diagnoses mean for patients
Stanford cardiologist Euan Ashley and his research team received a Guinness World Record last year…
STAT+: Top FDA official: Agency needs to start using accelerated approval for gene therapies
DALLAS — A top Food and Drug Administration official said Monday that the agency needs…
National Academies calls for transforming use of racial and ethnic labels in genetics research
Saying genetics researchers inconsistently and inappropriately use racial and ethnic labels that fail to capture…
STAT+: Setting aside the thorniest issues around CRISPR babies, scientists say embryo-editing research should proceed
LONDON — The Francis Crick Institute is a glimmering chameleon of a building, spanning four…
STAT+: Illumina has been ignoring its investors, but it can’t ignore Carl Icahn
Illumina, the DNA sequencing giant whose stock has fallen 40% in two years, already had…
STAT+: FDA approves first treatment for Rett syndrome, a genetic neurological disease
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first treatment for Rett syndrome, a…
STAT+: Mice with two fathers and base-edited baby monkeys highlight potential — and limitations — of hereditable gene editing
LONDON — Scientists at this year’s genome editing summit spent Tuesday showing the world just…
Opinion: Use warranties, not outcomes-based agreements, to make payers whole when a gene therapy fails
A decade ago, I had pegged gene and cell therapies as the next frontier. As…
STAT+: They were the 10% left out of life-changing treatments. Now these cystic fibrosis patients may finally get help
Vertex Pharmaceuticals revolutionized the treatment of cystic fibrosis. It also has unfinished business. The Boston…
STAT+: After bullying allegations, Eric Lander will return to run a lab at the Broad Institute
After nearly a year of public silence and private speculation over Eric Lander’s next act,…
Promising gene therapy delivers treatment directly to brain
When Rylae-Ann Poulin was a year old, she didn’t crawl or babble like other kids…
STAT+: Invitae’s new CEO on why the genetic testing firm stopped chasing ‘volume at all costs’
SAN FRANCISCO — Invitae, a Bay Area genetic testing company with a mission to use…
STAT+: Upstart Element ratchets up race for cheaper DNA sequencing with a $200 genome
SAN FRANCISCO — Decoding the billions of chemical letters that help shape who we are…
Study offers a genetic explanation for why some drugs trigger a deadly brain disease
Medicines that reshape or tamp down immune responses may be life-changing for patients with cancer…
Huge U.S. study starts sharing gene findings with volunteers
More than 155,000 Americans who shared their DNA for science are about to learn something…
‘Make People Better’: The CRISPR babies story you probably don’t know, and how it was filmed in real-time
In May of 2017, Samira Kiani found herself in a San Diego hotel ballroom surrounded…
STAT+: England to sequence genomes of 100,000 newborns, to try to catch illness earlier
LONDON — England is launching a pilot program sequencing the genomes of up to 100,000…
Revenge of the gaslit patients: Now, as scientists, they’re tackling Ehlers-Danlos syndromes
Type “Ehlers-Danlos syndromes” into a search engine, and multiple suggestions pop up. Is Ehlers-Danlos an…
STAT+: On the long road to treating Huntington’s genetic stutter, scientists return to overlooked clues
In the spring of 1981, a geneticist from Indianapolis and a neurologist from Chicago got…
After three years in prison, ‘CRISPR babies’ scientist is attempting a comeback
He Jiankui, the Chinese biophysicist who created the first gene-edited children, had been quiet since…
STAT+: mRNA startup Strand Therapeutics raises millions to test targeted cancer therapies
When Jacob Becraft addressed a bustling party of a hundred-plus employees, friends, and investors at…
Perfection is too high a bar for CRISPR treatments, says STAT Biomedical Innovation Award winner David Liu
BOSTON — In science journalism, there’s a well-worn technique reporters reach for when they’re interviewing…
In a first, a fatal enzyme deficiency is treated in the womb
To protect this child from the same genetic disease that killed two older siblings, treating…
Here’s why we’re not prepared for the next wave of biotech innovation
The first time I remember hearing the words “biology’s century,” it was a sales pitch….
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‘Science is just rocketing forward’: A Q&A with former NIH director Francis Collins
LOS ANGELES — Francis Collins stepped down from his position as head of the National…
STAT+: Pacific Biosciences, known for niche DNA sequencing, looks to rival Illumina with new product launch
Pacific Biosciences, a Menlo Park, Calif., firm best known for its niche approach to DNA…
Black Death may have influenced evolution of genes involved in immune responses, study finds
The phrase “Black Death mass burial site” tends to evoke images of haphazard piles of…
Human neurons implanted in a rodent’s brain lead a rat to water — and make it drink
The scientist flicked on a laser, filling the rat’s brain with blue light. The rodent,…
Opinion: Needed: stricter screening of gene synthesis orders, customers
Scientists rely on gene synthesis technologies as a research tool for everything from basic research…
Who will get the call from Stockholm? It’s time for STAT’s 2022 Nobel Prize predictions
We live in a time where the rate of medical and superlative scientific advances is…
STAT+: With rivals on its heels, Illumina launches a new line of high-end DNA sequencers
SAN DIEGO — After a steep drop in its stock price and with mounting competition…
STAT+: Biotech turns to new and strange viruses to overcome gene therapy’s limitations
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The fluorescent orange sticker atop the white machine reads “BIOHAZARD,” but it’s a…
STAT+: New CRISPR startup, drawing big-name backers, seeks to fix diseases caused by large DNA errors
A new CRISPR startup — backed by some big names in venture capital — is…
Opinion: Dobbs decision is a huge setback for genetic counseling and the people who need it
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that struck down the…