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Archive for the ‘Genome Biology’ Category

Biomolecular Condensates: A new approach to biology originated @MIT – Drug Discovery at DewPoint Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA gets new leaders, Ameet Nathwani, MD (ex-Sanofi, ex-Novartis) as Chief Executive Officer and Arie Belldegrun, PhD (ex-Kite Therapeutics) on R&D

Curator & Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

 

Hooked by the science, Arie Belldegrun joins a group of influentials who believe Dewpoint may have the key to the next big thing in biotech

A new approach to biology

“The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

Starting with the study of P granules in C.elegans embryos in 2009, Tony Hyman, working with his collaborators like Frank Julicher, Cliff Brangwynne, Simon Alberti, Mike Rosen, and Rohit Pappu, began to unravel the mysteries of biomolecular condensates. These scientists realized that P granules behave like liquid droplets that form by phase separation (think of oil droplets in salad dressing) and called them condensates.

In subsequent studies, they found to their surprise that many compartments inside cells had the behavior of condensates: they are liquid-like and form by phase separation.

Inspired by the work of Tony and his colleagues, Richard Young, Phillip Sharp, and Arup Chakraborty at MIT applied these approaches to the study of gene expression, similarly shedding light on many important questions in gene control.

a video thumbnail

 

Press releases and Dewpoint in the news

 
  • Dewpoint Therapeutics Appoints Ameet Nathwani as Chief Executive Officer

    Dewpoint

  • New York Times interviews Rick Young and Amy Gladfelter on the role of condensate “droplets” in COVID-19

    New York Times

  • Dewpoint Therapeutics raises $77 million to go after ‘undruggable’ diseases

    Boston Globe

  • Hooked by the science, Arie Belldegrun joins a group of influentials who believe Dewpoint may have the key to the next big thing in biotech

    Endpoint News

  • Dewpoint Therapeutics to put ‘pedal to the metal’ with $77M round

    FierceBiotech

  • Dewpoint Therapeutics Raises $77M Series B Financing to Advance the Development of Drugs That Target Biomolecular Condensates

    Dewpoint

  • 21 biotech startups that are set to take off, according to top VCs

    Business Insider

  • Proteins — and labs — coming together to prevent Rett Syndrome

    Whitehead Institute

  • Dewpoint Therapeutics Collaborates with Merck to Evaluate Novel Approach for the Treatment of HIV

    Dewpoint

  • Discovery of how cancer drugs find their targets could lead to a new toolset for drug development

    Whitehead Institute

SOURCE

https://dewpointx.com/news/

Other related article published in this Online Open Access Scientific Journal include: 

Economic Potential of a Drug Invention (Prof. Zelig Eshhar, Weitzman Institute, registered the patent) versus a Cancer Drug in Clinical Trials: CAR-T as a Case in Point, developed by Kite Pharma, under Arie Belldegrun, CEO, acquired by Gilead for $11.9 billion, 8/2017.

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2017/10/04/economic-potential-of-a-drug-invention-prof-zelig-eshhar-weitzman-institute-registered-the-patent-versus-a-cancer-drug-in-clinical-trials-car-t-as-a-case-in-point-developed-by-kite-pharma-unde/

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The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020: Emmanuelle Charpentier & Jennifer A. Doudna

Reporters: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D. and Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

Article ID #283: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020: Emmanuelle Charpentier & Jennifer A. Doudna. Published on 10/8/2020

WordCloud Image Produced by Adam Tubman

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 to

Emmanuelle Charpentier
Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany

Jennifer A. Doudna
University of California, Berkeley, USA

“for the development of a method for genome editing”

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2020/popular-information/#:~:text=Emmanuelle%20Charpentier%20and%20Jennifer%20Doudna,microorganisms%20with%20extremely%20high%20precision.

Genetic scissors: a tool for rewriting the code of life

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna have discovered one of gene technology’s sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision. This technology has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, is contributing to new cancer therapies and may make the dream of curing inherited diseases come true.

Researchers need to modify genes in cells if they are to find out about life’s inner workings. This used to be time-consuming, difficult and sometimes impossible work. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, it is now possible to change the code of life over the course of a few weeks.

“There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all. It has not only revolutionised basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments,” says Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

As so often in science, the discovery of these genetic scissors was unexpected. During Emmanuelle Charpentier’s studies of Streptococcus pyogenes, one of the bacteria that cause the most harm to humanity, she discovered a previously unknown molecule, tracrRNA. Her work showed that tracrRNA is part of bacteria’s ancient immune system, CRISPR/Cas, that disarms viruses by cleaving their DNA.

Charpentier published her discovery in 2011. The same year, she initiated a collaboration with Jennifer Doudna, an experienced biochemist with vast knowledge of RNA. Together, they succeeded in recreating the bacteria’s genetic scissors in a test tube and simplifying the scissors’ molecular components so they were easier to use.

In an epoch-making experiment, they then reprogrammed the genetic scissors. In their natural form, the scissors recognise DNA from viruses, but Charpentier and Doudna proved that they could be controlled so that they can cut any DNA molecule at a predetermined site. Where the DNA is cut it is then easy to rewrite the code of life.

Since Charpentier and Doudna discovered the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors in 2012 their use has exploded. This tool has contributed to many important discoveries in basic research, and plant researchers have been able to develop crops that withstand mould, pests and drought. In medicine, clinical trials of new cancer therapies are underway, and the dream of being able to cure inherited diseases is about to come true. These genetic scissors have taken the life sciences into a new epoch and, in many ways, are bringing the greatest benefit to humankind.

Illustrations

The illustrations are free to use for non-commercial purposes. Attribute ”© Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences”

Illustration: Using the genetic scissors (pdf)
Illustration: Streptococcus’ natural immune system against viruses:CRISPR/Cas9 pdf)
Illustration: CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors (pdf)

Read more about this year’s prize

Popular information: Genetic scissors: a tool for rewriting the code of life (pdf)
Scientific Background: A tool for genome editing (pdf)

Emmanuelle Charpentier, born 1968 in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France. Ph.D. 1995 from Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. Director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, Berlin, Germany.

Jennifer A. Doudna, born 1964 in Washington, D.C, USA. Ph.D. 1989 from Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

 

Other Articles on the Nobel Prize in this Open Access Journal Include:

2020 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine for Hepatitis C Discovery goes to British scientist Michael Houghton and US researchers Harvey Alter and Charles Rice

CONTAGIOUS – About Viruses, Pandemics and Nobel Prizes at the Nobel Prize Museum, Stockholm, Sweden 

AACR Congratulates Dr. William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Dr. Gregg L. Semenza on 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for contributions to Cancer Immunotherapy to James P. Allison, Ph.D., of the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Dr. Allison shares the prize with Tasuku Honjo, M.D., Ph.D., of Kyoto University Institute, Japan

2017 Nobel prize in chemistry given to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson  for developing cryo-electron microscopy

2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded for development of molecular machines, the world’s smallest mechanical devices, the winners: Jean-Pierre Sauvage, J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa

Correspondence on Leadership in Genomics and other Gene Curations: Dr. Williams with Dr. Lev-Ari

Programming life: An interview with Jennifer Doudna by Michael Chui, a partner of the McKinsey Global Institute

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Coronavirus mutation-does it matter?

Reporter : Irina Robu, PhD

Soon after SARS-CoV-2 was detected in China, scientists began analyzing viral sample and posting the genetic codes online. Mutations allowed researchers to track the spread by linking closely related viruses to understand how SARS-CoV-2 infects humans.  They recognized that SARS-CoV-2 encode their genome in RNA and tends to pick up mutations quickly as they are copied inside their hosts.  Yet,  sequencing data suggest that coronaviruses change more slowly than most RNA viruses, probably because of a proofreading enzyme that corrects fatal copying mutations.  In spite of the virus slow mutation rate, scientists have been able to classified more than 12,000 mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes.

Many scientists such as David Montefiori, a virologist who spent much of his career studying how chance mutations in HIV helps it evade the immune system thought that COVID-19 might cause the same thing.  His laboratory in collaboration with Dr. Bette Korber investigated several thousands of coronavirus sequences for mutations that might have changed virus properties around the world.

Compared to HIV, SARS-CoV-2 seems to be changing slower than it spreads, but one mutation is obvious. That mutation  includes a gene encoding the spike protein, which helps the virus particles penetrate cells. According to Korber, the 614th amino acid position of the spike protein, the amino acid aspartate was replaced by glycine, because of a mutation, D614G that altered a single nucleotide in the virus’s 29,903-letter RNA code.

To observe whether D614G  mutation made the virus more transmissible, Montefiori evaluated its effects under laboratory conditions but he couldn’t study the natural SARS-CoV-2 virus in his lab, because of the biosafety containment required. So, he studied a genetically modified form of HIV that used the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to infect cells. Such ‘pseudo virus’ particles are a workhorse of virology labs: they enable the safe study of deadly pathogens such as the Ebola virus, and they make it simpler to test the effects of mutations.

The strongest sign that D614G has a consequence on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in humans comes from an ambitious UK effort called the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, which has analyzed genomes of around 25,000 viral samples. From these data, researchers have identified more than 1,300 instances in which a virus entered the United Kingdom and spread, including examples of D- and G-type viruses.

What is clearly known is that D614G is an adaptation that helps the virus infect cells or compete with viruses that don’t carry the change, while at the same time altering a bit of information about how SARS-CoV-2 spreads between people and through a population.  Some scientists believe that D614G mutation should explain how SARS-CoV-2 fuses with cells and can use that process to develop a more efficient vaccine. 

At the present time, the evidence suggests that D614G doesn’t stop the immune system’s neutralizing antibodies from recognizing SARS-CoV-2, partly because the mutation is not in the spike protein’s receptor-binding domain.

SOURCE

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02544-6?utm_source=Nature+Briefing

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Precision Cardiology to Benefit from New Atlas of Cells of the Adult Human Heart

Reporters: Justin D. Pearlman, MD, PhD, FACC and Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

 

The Voice of Dr. Pearlman on potential clinical implications of the New Atlas:

 

Published on 9/24/2020 in Nature

Litviňuková, M., Talavera-López, C., Maatz, H. et al. Cells of the adult human heart. Nature (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2797-4

 

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies require deeper understanding of the healthy heart’s molecular processes. Knowledge of the full repertoire of cardiac cells and their gene expression profiles is a fundamental first step in this endeavor. Here, using state-of-the-art analyses of large-scale single-cell and nuclei transcriptomes, we characterise six anatomical adult heart regions. Our results highlight the cellular heterogeneity of cardiomyocytes, pericytes, and fibroblasts, revealing distinct atrial and ventricular subsets with diverse developmental origins and specialized properties. We define the complexity of the cardiac vasculature and its changes along the arterio-venous axis. In the immune compartment we identify cardiac resident macrophages with inflammatory and protective transcriptional signatures. Further, inference of cell-cell interactions highlight different macrophage-fibroblast-cardiomyocyte networks between atria and ventricles that are distinct from skeletal muscle. Our human cardiac cell atlas improves our understanding of the human heart and provides a healthy reference for future studies.

Author information

Affiliations

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to J. G. Seidman or Christine E. Seidman or Michela Noseda or Norbert Hubner or Sarah A. Teichmann.

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Double Mutant PI3KA Found to Lead to Higher Oncogenic Signaling in Cancer Cells

Curator: Stephen J. Williams, PhD

PIK3CA (Phosphatidylinsitol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) 3-kinase catalytic subunit α) is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in various tumor types ([1] and http://www.sanger.ac.uk/genetics/CGP/cosmic). Oncogenic mutations leading to the overactivation of PIK3CA, especially in context in of inactivating PTEN mutations, result in overtly high signaling activity and associated with the malignant phenotype.

In a Perspective article (Double trouble for cancer gene: Double mutations in an oncogene enhance tumor growth) in the journal Science[2], Dr. Alex Toker discusses the recent results of Vasan et al. in the same issue of Science[3] on the finding that double mutations in the same allele of PIK3CA are more frequent in cancer genomes than previously identified and these double mutations lead to increased PI3K pathway activation, increased tumor growth, and increased sensitivity to PI3K inhibitors in human breast cancer.

 

 

From Dr. Melvin Crasto blog NewDrugApprovals.org

Alpelisib: PIK3CA inhibitor:

Alpelisib: New PIK3CA inhibitor approved for HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer

 

FDA approves first PI3K inhibitor for breast cancer

syn https://newdrugapprovals.org/2018/06/25/alpelisib-byl-719/

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Piqray (alpelisib) tablets, to be used in combination with the FDA-approved endocrine therapy fulvestrant, to treat postmenopausal women, and men, with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer (as detected by an FDA-approved test) following progression on or after an endocrine-based regimen.

The FDA also approved the companion diagnostic test, therascreen PIK3CA RGQ PCR Kit, to detect the PIK3CA mutation in a tissue and/or a liquid biopsy. Patients who are negative by

May 24, 2019

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Piqray (alpelisib) tablets, to be used in combination with the FDA-approved endocrine therapy fulvestrant, to treat postmenopausal women, and men, with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer (as detected by an FDA-approved test) following progression on or after an endocrine-based regimen.

The FDA also approved the companion diagnostic test, therascreen PIK3CA RGQ PCR Kit, to detect the PIK3CA mutation in a tissue and/or a liquid biopsy. Patients who are negative by the therascreen test using the liquid biopsy should undergo tumor biopsy for PIK3CA mutation testing.

“Piqray is the first PI3K inhibitor to demonstrate a clinically meaningful benefit in treating patients with this type of breast cancer. The ability to target treatment to a patient’s specific genetic mutation or biomarker is becoming increasingly common in cancer treatment, and companion diagnostic tests assist oncologists in selecting patients who may benefit from these targeted treatments,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “For this approval, we employed some of our newer regulatory tools to streamline reviews without compromising the quality of our assessment. This drug is the first novel drug approved under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program. We also used the updated Assessment Aid, a multidisciplinary review template that helps focus our written review on critical thinking and consistency and reduces time spent on administrative tasks.”

Metastatic breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other organs in the body (most often the bones, lungs, liver or brain). When breast cancer is hormone-receptor positive, patients may be treated with anti-hormonal treatment (also called endocrine therapy), alone or in combination with other medicines, or chemotherapy.

The efficacy of Piqray was studied in the SOLAR-1 trial, a randomized trial of 572 postmenopausal women and men with HR-positive, HER2-negative, advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose cancer had progressed while on or after receiving an aromatase inhibitor. Results from the trial showed the addition of Piqray to fulvestrant significantly prolonged progression- free survival (median of 11 months vs. 5.7 months) in patients whose tumors had a PIK3CA mutation.

Common side effects of Piqray are high blood sugar levels, increase in creatinine, diarrhea, rash, decrease in lymphocyte count in the blood, elevated liver enzymes, nausea, fatigue, low red blood cell count, increase in lipase (enzymes released by the pancreas), decreased appetite, stomatitis, vomiting, weight loss, low calcium levels, aPTT prolonged (blood clotting taking longer to occur than it should), and hair loss.

Health care professionals are advised to monitor patients taking Piqray for severe hypersensitivity reactions (intolerance). Patients are warned of potentially severe skin reactions (rashes that may result in peeling and blistering of skin or mucous membranes like the lips and gums). Health care professionals are advised not to initiate treatment in patients with a history of severe skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, erythema multiforme, or toxic epidermal necrolysis. Patients on Piqray have reported severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and the safety of Piqray in patients with Type 1 or uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes has not been established. Before initiating treatment with Piqray, health care professionals are advised to check fasting glucose and HbA1c, and to optimize glycemic control. Patients should be monitored for pneumonitis/interstitial lung disease (inflammation of lung tissue) and diarrhea during treatment. Piqray must be dispensed with a patient Medication Guide that describes important information about the drug’s uses and risks.

Piqray is the first new drug application (NDA) for a new molecular entity approved under the Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) pilot program, which permits the FDA to begin analyzing key efficacy and safety datasets prior to the official submission of an application, allowing the review team to begin their review and communicate with the applicant earlier. Piqray also used the updated Assessment Aid (AAid), a multidisciplinary review template intended to focus the FDA’s written review on critical thinking and consistency and reduce time spent on administrative tasks. With these two pilot programs, today’s approval of Piqray comes approximately three months ahead of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) VI deadline of August 18, 2019.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review designation. The FDA granted approval of Piqray to Novartis. The FDA granted approval of the therascreen PIK3CA RGQ PCR Kit to QIAGEN Manchester, Ltd.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-pi3k-inhibitor-breast-cancer?utm_campaign=052419_PR_FDA%20approves%20first%20PI3K%20inhibitor%20for%20breast%20cancer&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

 

Alpelisib

(2S)-1-N-[4-methyl-5-[2-(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-methylpropan-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl]-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxamide

PDT PAT WO 2010/029082

CHEMICAL NAMES: Alpelisib; CAS 1217486-61-7; BYL-719; BYL719; UNII-08W5N2C97Q; BYL 719
MOLECULAR FORMULA: C19H22F3N5O2S
MOLECULAR WEIGHT: 441.473 g/mol
  1. alpelisib
  2. 1217486-61-7
  3. BYL-719
  4. BYL719
  5. UNII-08W5N2C97Q
  6. BYL 719
  7. Alpelisib (BYL719)
  8. (S)-N1-(4-Methyl-5-(2-(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-methylpropan-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl)thiazol-2-yl)pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxamide
  9. NVP-BYL719

Alpelisib is an orally bioavailable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with potential antineoplastic activity. Alpelisib specifically inhibits PI3K in the PI3K/AKT kinase (or protein kinase B) signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the activation of the PI3K signaling pathway. This may result in inhibition of tumor cell growth and survival in susceptible tumor cell populations. Activation of the PI3K signaling pathway is frequently associated with tumorigenesis. Dysregulated PI3K signaling may contribute to tumor resistance to a variety of antineoplastic agents.

Alpelisib has been used in trials studying the treatment and basic science of Neoplasms, Solid Tumors, BREAST CANCER, 3rd Line GIST, and Rectal Cancer, among others.

 

SYN 2

POLYMORPHS

https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2012175522A1/en

(S)-pyrrolidine-l,2-dicarboxylic acid 2-amide l-(4-methyl-5-[2-(2,2,2-trifluoro-l,l- dimethyl-ethyl)-pyridin-4-yl]-thiazol-2-yl)-amidei hereafter referred to as compound I,

is an alpha-selective phosphatidylinositol 3 -kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. Compound I was originally described in WO 2010/029082, wherein the synthesis of its free base form was described. There is a need for additional solid forms of compound I, for use in drug substance and drug product development. It has been found that new solid forms of compound I can be prepared as one or more polymorph forms, including solvate forms. These polymorph forms exhibit new physical properties that may be exploited in order to obtain new pharmacological properties, and that may be utilized in drug substance and drug product development. Summary of the Invention

In one aspect, provided herein is a crystalline form of the compound of formula I, or a solvate of the crystalline form of the compound of formula I, or a salt of the crystalline form of the compound of formula I, or a solvate of a salt of the crystalline form of the compound of formula I. In one embodiment, the crystalline form of the compound of formula I has the polymorph form SA, SB, Sc, or SD.

In another aspect, provided herein is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a crystalline compound of formula I. In one embodiment of the pharmaceutical composition, the crystalline compound of formula I has the polymorph form SA, SB,Sc, or So.

In another aspect, provided herein is a method for the treatment of disorders mediated by PI3K, comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment an effective amount of a crystalline compound of formula I, particularly SA, SB, SC,or SD .

In yet another aspect, provided herein is the use of a crystalline compound of formula I, particularly SA, SB, SC, or SD, for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of disorders mediated by PI3K.

 

Source: https://newdrugapprovals.org/?s=alpelisib&submit=

 

Pharmacology and Toxicology from drugbank.ca

Indication

Alpelisib is indicated in combination with fulvestrant to treat postmenopausal women, and men, with advanced or metastatic breast cancer.Label This cancer must be hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, and PIK3CA­ mutated.Label The cancer must be detected by an FDA-approved test following progression on or after an endocrine-based regimen.Label

Associated Conditions

Contraindications & Blackbox Warnings

Learn about our commercial Contraindications & Blackbox Warnings data.

LEARN MORE

 

Pharmacodynamics

Alpelisib does not prolong the QTcF interval.Label Patients taking alpelisib experience a dose dependent benefit from treatment with a 51% advantage of a 200mg daily dose over a 100mg dose and a 22% advantage of 300mg once daily over 150mg twice daily.6 This suggests patients requiring a lower dose may benefit from twice daily dosing.6

Mechanism of action

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-α (PI3Kα) is responsible for cell proliferation in response to growth factor-tyrosine kinase pathway activation.3 In some cancers PI3Kα’s p110α catalytic subunit is mutated making it hyperactive.3 Alpelisib inhibits (PI3K), with the highest specificity for PI3Kα.Label

TARGET ACTIONS ORGANISM
APhosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform inhibitor Humans

Absorption

Alpelisib reached a peak concentration in plasma of 1320±912ng/mL after 2 hours.4 Alpelisib has an AUClast of 11,100±3760h ng/mL and an AUCINF of 11,100±3770h ng/mL.4 A large, high fat meal increases the AUC by 73% and Cmax by 84% while a small, low fat meal increases the AUC by 77% and Cmax by 145%.Label

Volume of distribution

The apparent volume of distribution at steady state is 114L.Label

Protein binding

Alpelisib is 89% protein bound.Label

Metabolism

Alpelisib is metabolized by hydrolysis reactions to form the primary metabolite.Label It is also metabolized by CYP3A4.Label The full metabolism of Alpelisib has yet to be determined but a series of reactions have been proposed.4,5 The main metabolic reaction is the substitution of an amine group on alpelisib for a hydroxyl group to form a metabolite known as M44,5 or BZG791.Label Alpelisib can also be glucuronidated to form the M1 and M12 metabolites.4,5

Hover over products below to view reaction partners

Route of elimination

36% of an oral dose is eliminated as unchanged drug in the feces and 32% as the primary metabolite BZG791 in the feces.Label 2% of an oral dose is eliminated in the urine as unchanged drug and 7.1% as the primary metabolite BZG791.Label In total 81% of an oral dose is eliminated in the feces and 14% is eliminated in the urine.Label

Half-life

The mean half life of alprelisib is 8 to 9 hours.Label

Clearance

The mean apparent oral clearance was 39.0L/h.4 The predicted clearance is 9.2L/hr under fed conditions.Label

Adverse Effects

Learn about our commercial Adverse Effects data.

LEARN MORE

 

Toxicity

LD50 and Overdose

Patients experiencing an overdose may present with hyperglycemia, nausea, asthenia, and rash.Label There is no antidote for an overdose of alpelisib so patients should be treated symptomatically.Label Data regarding an LD50 is not readily available.MSDS In clinical trials, patients were given doses of up to 450mg once daily.Label

Pregnancy, Lactation, and Fertility

Following administration in rats and rabbits during organogenesis, adverse effects on the reproductive system, such as embryo-fetal mortality, reduced fetal weights, and increased incidences of fetal malformations, were observed.Label Based on these findings of animals studies and its mechanism of action, it is proposed that alpelisib may cause embryo-fetal toxicity when administered to pregnant patients.Label There is no data available regarding the presence of alpelisib in breast milk so breast feeding mothers are advised not to breastfeed while taking this medication and for 1 week after their last dose.Label Based on animal studies, alpelisib may impair fertility of humans.Label

Carcinogenicity and Mutagenicity

Studies of carcinogenicity have yet to be performed.Label Alpelisib has not been found to be mutagenic in the Ames test.Label It is not aneugenic, clastogenic, or genotoxic in further assays.Label

Affected organisms

Not Available

Pathways

Not Available

Pharmacogenomic Effects/ADRs 

 

Not Available

 

Source: https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB12015

References

  1. Yuan TL, Cantley LC: PI3K pathway alterations in cancer: variations on a theme. Oncogene 2008, 27(41):5497-5510.
  2. Toker A: Double trouble for cancer gene. Science 2019, 366(6466):685-686.
  3. Vasan N, Razavi P, Johnson JL, Shao H, Shah H, Antoine A, Ladewig E, Gorelick A, Lin TY, Toska E et al: Double PIK3CA mutations in cis increase oncogenicity and sensitivity to PI3Kalpha inhibitors. Science 2019, 366(6466):714-723.

 

 

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Prime Editing as a New CRISPR Tool to Enhance Precision and Versatility

Curator: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.

The following articles is structured as follows

1: Recent update of financial  statements from Editas Medicine, with a brief history of the company from formation to present

2: Main article which describes Editas Medicine’s CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system and advantages of their system over competitors.  This includes the early seminal publications showing utility of the system in humans

UPDATED 05/31/2026

The following press release announces a major public offering of shares of Editas Medicine, a biotechnology company founded in 2013 by Nobel Leaureates Dr. Jennifer Doudna, and Dr. George Church, as well as other prominent scientists to use the gene editing capabilities of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to cure genetic diseases. After initial funding of $43 million from Third Rock Ventures and Polaris Partners, Dr. Doudna left in 2014 as a result of patent disagreements.  The  company has had early successes with ‘in-vivo’ CRISPR in a clinical trial with EDIT-101 for Leber congenital amaurosis 10 (LCA10), however this was not able to reach market.  Programs for correcting defects ex-vivo for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia (renicel) was terminated in 2024.  Due to stiff competition from Veritas and CRSPR Therapeutics, as well as inability to secure a commercial partner, Editas Medicine pivoted their strategy in late 2024.  The need for capital is reflecting in their public offering however they still maintain a strong IP portfoliol

A

Source: https://ir.editasmedicine.com/news-releases/news-release-details/editas-medicine-announces-pricing-3194-million-public-offering

Press Release Editas Medicine Announces Pricing of Up to $319.4 Million Public Offering

May 26, 2026 at 9:05 AM EDT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a pioneering gene editing company developing transformative medicines for serious diseases, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 55,555,556 shares of its common stock and accompanying common stock warrants to purchase an aggregate of 55,555,556 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof). Each share of common stock and accompanying common stock warrant are being sold together at a combined public offering price of $2.25. The aggregate gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be approximately $125.0 million (assuming no exercise of the common stock warrants), before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. If all of the common stock warrants are exercised at their exercise price, the Company would receive additional gross proceeds from the offering of approximately $194.4 million before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses.

Each common stock warrant will be exercisable for shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof), will have an exercise price of $3.50 per share (or $3.4999 per share if exercised for pre-funded warrants), will be exercisable immediately and will expire on the earlier of (i) the date that is thirty (30) days following the first public announcement by the Company of Phase 1 clinical data for the Company’s product candidate, EDIT-401, that discloses at least three patients in the trial that each demonstrated greater than 80% reduction in LDL-cholesterol as compared to baseline with at least one (1) month of follow-up and (ii) three years from the date of issuance. Any pre-funded warrants issued upon the exercise of common stock warrants will have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share of common stock, will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the date the pre-funded warrant is exercised in full.

All of the securities in the offering are being sold by Editas Medicine. The offering is expected to close on or about May 27, 2026, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.Cantor and Wells Fargo Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.The securities are being offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-277471) that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 28, 2024, as amended by Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Form S-3 Registration Statement and Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Form S-3 Registration Statement, each filed with the SEC on March 5, 2025, and declared effective on March 21, 2025. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the offering have been filed with the SEC and are available at www.sec.gov. A final prospectus supplement relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available for free on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, by contacting Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention: Capital Markets, 110 East 59th Street, 6th Floor New York, New York 10022, Email: prospectus@cantor.com; or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 90 South 7th Street, 5th Floor, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, at (800) 645-3751 (option #5) or email a request to WFScustomerservice@wellsfargo.com. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Editas Medicine As a pioneering gene editing company, Editas Medicine is focused on translating the power and potential of CRISPR genome editing systems into a robust pipeline of transformative in vivo medicines for people living with serious diseases around the world. Editas Medicine aims to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize durable, precision in vivo gene editing medicines for a broad class of diseases. Editas Medicine is the exclusive licensee of Broad Institute’s Cas12a patent estate and Broad Institute and Harvard University’s Cas9 patent estates for human medicines.

Investor and Media Contacts:
ir@editasmed.com
media@editasmed.com

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Source: Editas Medicine, Inc.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE : 08/29/2020

Curator: Stephen J. Williams, PhD

The following curation describes the technology developed by Editas Medicine which reduces off target effects and is the basis for the in-vivo and ex-vivo therapeutic CRSPR/Cas9 technology.  Seminal publication are included,

 

CRISPR has become a powerful molecular for the editing of genomes tool in research, drug discovery, and the clinic

(see posts and ebook on this site below)

 

however, as discussed on this site

(see posts below)

there have been many instances of off-target effects where genes, other than the selected target, are edited out.  This ‘off-target’ issue has hampered much of the utility of CRISPR in gene-therapy and CART therapy

see posts

 

However, an article in Science by Jon Cohen explains a Nature paper’s finding of a new tool in the CRISPR arsenal called prime editing, meant to increase CRISPR specificity and precision editing capabilities.

PRIME EDITING PROMISES TO BE A CUT ABOVE CRISPR

By Jon Cohen | Oct 25th, 2019

Prime editing promises to be a cut above CRISPR Jon Cohen CRISPR, an extraordinarily powerful genome-editing tool invented in 2012, can still be clumsy. … Prime editing steers around shortcomings of both techniques by heavily modifying the Cas9 protein and the guide RNA. … ” Prime editing “well may become the way that disease-causing mutations are repaired,” he says.

Science Vol. 366, No. 6464; DOI: 10.1126/science.366.6464.406

The effort, led by Drs. David Liu and Andrew Anzalone at the Broad Institute (Cambridge, MA), relies on the modification of the Cas9 protein and guide RNA, so that there is only a nick in a single strand of the double helix.  The canonical Cas9 cuts both strands of DNA, and so relies on an efficient gap repair activity of the cell.  The second part, a new type of guide RNA called a pegRNA, contains an RNA template for a new DNA sequence to be added at the target location.  This pegRNA-directed synthesis of the new template requires the attachment of a reverse transcriptase enzymes to the Cas9.  So far Liu and his colleagues have tested the technology on over 175 human and rodent cell lines with great success.  In addition, they had also corrected mutations which cause Tay Sachs disease, which previous CRISPR systems could not do.  Liu claims that this technology could correct over 89% of pathogenic variants in human diseases.

A company Prime Medicine has been formed out of this effort.

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6464/406.abstract

 

Read an article on Dr. Liu, prime editing, and the companies that Dr. Liu has initiated including Editas Medicine, Beam Therapeutics, and Prime Medicine at https://www.statnews.com/2019/11/06/questions-david-liu-crispr-prime-editing-answers/

(interview by StatNews  SHARON BEGLEY @sxbegle)

As was announced, prime editing for human therapeutics will be jointly developed by both Prime Medicine and Beam Therapeutics, each focusing on different types of edits and distinct disease targets, which will help avoid redundancy and allow us to cover more disease territory overall. The companies will also share knowledge in prime editing as well as in accompanying technologies, such as delivery and manufacturing.

Reader of StatNews.: Can you please compare the pros and cons of prime editing versus base editing?

The first difference between base editing and prime editing is that base editing has been widely used for the past 3 1/2 years in organisms ranging from bacteria to plants to mice to primates. Addgene tells me that the DNA blueprints for base editors from our laboratory have been distributed more than 7,500 times to more than 1,000 researchers around the world, and more than 100 research papers from many different laboratories have been published using base editors to achieve desired gene edits for a wide variety of applications. While we are very excited about prime editing, it’s brand-new and there has only been one paper published thus far. So there’s much to do before we can know if prime editing will prove to be as general and robust as base editing has proven to be.

We directly compared prime editors and base editors in our study, and found that current base editors can offer higher editing efficiency and fewer indel byproducts than prime editors, while prime editors offer more targeting flexibility and greater editing precision. So when the desired edit is a transition point mutation (C to T, T to C, A to G, or G to A), and the target base is well-positioned for base editing (that is, a PAM sequence exists approximately 15 bases from the target site), then base editing can result in higher editing efficiencies and fewer byproducts. When the target base is not well-positioned for base editing, or when other “bystander” C or A bases are nearby that must not be edited, then prime editing offers major advantages since it does not require a precisely positioned PAM sequence and is a true “search-and-replace” editing capability, with no possibility of unwanted bystander editing at neighboring bases.

Of course, for classes of mutations other than the four types of point mutations that base editors can make, such as insertions, deletions, and the eight other kinds of point mutations, to our knowledge prime editing is currently the only approach that can make these mutations in human cells without requiring double-stranded DNA cuts or separate DNA templates.

Nucleases (such as the zinc-finger nucleases, TALE nucleases, and the original CRISPR-Cas9), base editors, and prime editors each have complementary strengths and weaknesses, just as scissors, pencils, and word processors each have unique and useful roles. All three classes of editing agents already have or will have roles in basic research and in applications such as human therapeutics and agriculture.

Nature Paper on Prime Editing CRISPR

Search-and-replace genome editing without double-strand breaks or donor DNA (6)

 

Andrew V. Anzalone,  Peyton B. Randolph, Jessie R. Davis, Alexander A. Sousa,

Luke W. Koblan, Jonathan M. Levy, Peter J. Chen, Christopher Wilson,

Gregory A. Newby, Aditya Raguram & David R. Liu

 

Nature volume 576, pages149–157(2019)

 

Abstract

Most genetic variants that contribute to disease1 are challenging to correct efficiently and without excess byproducts2,3,4,5. Here we describe prime editing, a versatile and precise genome editing method that directly writes new genetic information into a specified DNA site using a catalytically impaired Cas9 endonuclease fused to an engineered reverse transcriptase, programmed with a prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA) that both specifies the target site and encodes the desired edit. We performed more than 175 edits in human cells, including targeted insertions, deletions, and all 12 types of point mutation, without requiring double-strand breaks or donor DNA templates. We used prime editing in human cells to correct, efficiently and with few byproducts, the primary genetic causes of sickle cell disease (requiring a transversion in HBB) and Tay–Sachs disease (requiring a deletion in HEXA); to install a protective transversion in PRNP; and to insert various tags and epitopes precisely into target loci. Four human cell lines and primary post-mitotic mouse cortical neurons support prime editing with varying efficiencies. Prime editing shows higher or similar efficiency and fewer byproducts than homology-directed repair, has complementary strengths and weaknesses compared to base editing, and induces much lower off-target editing than Cas9 nuclease at known Cas9 off-target sites. Prime editing substantially expands the scope and capabilities of genome editing, and in principle could correct up to 89% of known genetic variants associated with human diseases.

 

 

From Anzolone et al. Nature 2019 Figure 1.

Prime editing strategy

Cas9 targets DNA using a guide RNA containing a spacer sequence that hybridizes to the target DNA site. We envisioned the generation of guide RNAs that both specify the DNA target and contain new genetic information that replaces target DNA nucleotides. To transfer information from these engineered guide RNAs to target DNA, we proposed that genomic DNA, nicked at the target site to expose a 3′-hydroxyl group, could be used to prime the reverse transcription of an edit-encoding extension on the engineered guide RNA (the pegRNA) directly into the target site (Fig. 1b, cSupplementary Discussion).. These initial steps result in a branched intermediate with two redundant single-stranded DNA flaps: a 5′ flap that contains the unedited DNA sequence and a 3′ flap that contains the edited sequence copied from the pegRNA (Fig. 1c). Although hybridization of the perfectly complementary 5′ flap to the unedited strand is likely to be thermodynamically favoured, 5′ flaps are the preferred substrate for structure-specific endonucleases such as FEN122, which excises 5′ flaps generated during lagging-strand DNA synthesis and long-patch base excision repair. The redundant unedited DNA may also be removed by 5′ exonucleases such as EXO123.

  • The authors reasoned that preferential 5′ flap excision and 3′ flap ligation could drive the incorporation of the edited DNA strand, creating heteroduplex DNA containing one edited strand and one unedited strand (Fig. 1c).
  • DNA repair to resolve the heteroduplex by copying the information in the edited strand to the complementary strand would permanently install the edit (Fig. 1c).
  • They had hypothesized that nicking the non-edited DNA strand might bias DNA repair to preferentially replace the non-edited strand.

Results

  • The authors evaluated the eukaryotic cell DNA repair outcomes of 3′ flaps produced by pegRNA-programmed reverse transcription in vitro, and performed in vitro prime editing on reporter plasmids, then transformed the reaction products into yeast cells (Extended Data Fig. 2).
  • Reporter plasmids encoding EGFP and mCherry separated by a linker containing an in-frame stop codon, +1 frameshift, or −1 frameshift were constructed and when plasmids were edited in vitro with Cas9 nickase, RT, and 3′-extended pegRNAs encoding a transversion that corrects the premature stop codon, 37% of yeast transformants expressed both GFP and mCherry (Fig. 1f, Extended Data Fig. 2).
  • They fused a variant of M—MLV-RT (reverse transcriptase) to Cas9 with an extended linker and this M-MLV RT fused to the C terminus of Cas9(H840A) nickase was designated as PE1. This strategy allowed the authors to generate a cell line containing all the required components of the primer editing system. They constructed 19 variants of PE1 containing a variety of RT mutations to evaluate their editing efficiency in human cells
  • Generated a pentamutant RT incorporated into PE1 (Cas9(H840A)–M-MLV RT(D200N/L603W/T330P/T306K/W313F)) is hereafter referred to as prime editor 2 (PE2).  These were more thermostable versions of RT with higher efficiency.
  • Optimized the guide (pegRNA) using a series of permutations and  recommend starting with about 10–16 nt and testing shorter and longer RT templates during pegRNA optimization.
  • In the previous attempts (PE1 and PE2 systems), mismatch repair resolves the heteroduplex to give either edited or non-edited products. So they next developed an optimal editing system (PE3) to produce optimal nickase activity and found nicks positioned 3′ of the edit about 40–90 bp from the pegRNA-induced nick generally increased editing efficiency (averaging 41%) without excess indel formation (6.8% average indels for the sgRNA with the highest editing efficiency) (Fig. 3b).
  • The cell line used to finalize and validate the system was predominantly HEK293T immortalized cell line
  • Together, their findings establish that PE3 systems improve editing efficiencies about threefold compared with PE2, albeit with a higher range of indels than PE2. When it is possible to nick the non-edited strand with an sgRNA that requires editing before nicking, the PE3b system offers PE3-like editing levels while greatly reducing indel formation.
  • Off Target Effects: Strikingly, PE3 or PE2 with the same 16 pegRNAs containing these four target spacers resulted in detectable off-target editing at only 3 out of 16 off-target sites, with only 1 of 16 showing an off-target editing efficiency of 1% or more (Extended Data Fig. 6h). Average off-target prime editing for pegRNAs targeting HEK3HEK4EMX1, and FANCFat the top four known Cas9 off-target sites for each protospacer was <0.1%, <2.2 ± 5.2%, <0.1%, and <0.13 ± 0.11%, respectively (Extended Data Fig. 6h).
  • The PE3 system was very efficient at editing the most common mutation that causes Tay-Sachs disease, a 4-bp insertion in HEXA(HEXA1278+TATC).

References

  1. Landrum, M. J. et al. ClinVar: public archive of interpretations of clinically relevant variants. Nucleic Acids Res44, D862–D868 (2016).
  2. Jinek, M. et al. A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity. Science337, 816–821 (2012).
  3. Cong, L. et al. Multiplex genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas systems. Science339, 819–823 (2013).

 

  1. Mali, P. et al. RNA-guided human genome engineering via Cas9. Science339, 823–826 (2013).
  2. Kosicki, M., Tomberg, K. & Bradley, A. Repair of double-strand breaks induced by CRISPR–Cas9 leads to large deletions and complex rearrangements.  Biotechnol. 36, 765–771 (2018).
  3. Anzalone, A.V., Randolph, P.B., Davis, J.R. et al.Search-and-replace genome editing without double-strand breaks or donor DNA. Nature576, 149–157 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1711-4

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Most significant article published in the Society of Evolution, Medicine and Public Health won Prize: polygenic scores, polygenic adaptation, and human phenotypic differences

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN 

 

UPDATED on 8/30/2020

Analysis of polygenic risk score usage and performance in diverse human populations

Abstract

A historical tendency to use European ancestry samples hinders medical genetics research, including the use of polygenic scores, which are individual-level metrics of genetic risk. We analyze the first decade of polygenic scoring studies (2008–2017, inclusive), and find that 67% of studies included exclusively European ancestry participants and another 19% included only East Asian ancestry participants. Only 3.8% of studies were among cohorts of African, Hispanic, or Indigenous peoples. We find that predictive performance of European ancestry-derived polygenic scores is lower in non-European ancestry samples (e.g. African ancestry samples: t = −5.97, df = 24, p = 3.7 × 10−6), and we demonstrate the effects of methodological choices in polygenic score distributions for worldwide populations. These findings highlight the need for improved treatment of linkage disequilibrium and variant frequencies when applying polygenic scoring to cohorts of non-European ancestry, and bolster the rationale for large-scale GWAS in diverse human populations.

SOURCE

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11112-0

The Voice of Prof. Marcus W. Feldman

You might be interested in the paper “interpreting polygenic scores, polygenic adaptation, and human phenotypic differences” by N. Rosenberg, M. Edge, J. Pritchard, and M. Feldman, published in Evolution, Medicine and Public Health  (2019).    Rosenberg and Pritchard are my former PhD students, both full professors at Stanford, and M.Edge is a student of Rosenberg.

 

On Aug 28, 2020, at 4:36 PM, Horowitz, Barbara Natterson <natterson-horowitz@fas.harvard.edu> wrote:

Dear Dr. Rosenberg,

It is my pleasure in my role as President of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine and Public Health to inform you that your 2019 EMPH article, “Interpreting polygenic scores, polygenic adaptation, and human phenotypic differences” has won The George C. Williams Prize which is awarded each year to the first author of the most significant article published in the Society’s flagship journal, Evolution, Medicine and Public Health.  

The Prize recognizes the contributions of George C. Williams to evolutionary medicine and aims to encourage and highlight important research in this growing field. It includes $5,000 and an invitation to present at the online lecture series, Club EvMed. The Prize is made possible by donations from Doris Williams, Randolph Nesse, and other supporters of EMPH.

The winning article:

 

Interpreting polygenic scores, polygenic adaptation, and human phenotypic differences

Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, Volume 2019, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 26–34, https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoy036
Published:
27 December 2018

Article history

SOURCE

Abstract

Recent analyses of polygenic scores have opened new discussions concerning the genetic basis and evolutionary significance of differences among populations in distributions of phenotypes. Here, we highlight limitations in research on polygenic scores, polygenic adaptation and population differences. We show how genetic contributions to traits, as estimated by polygenic scores, combine with environmental contributions so that differences among populations in trait distributions need not reflect corresponding differences in genetic propensity. Under a null model in which phenotypes are selectively neutral, genetic propensity differences contributing to phenotypic differences among populations are predicted to be small. We illustrate this null hypothesis in relation to health disparities between African Americans and European Americans, discussing alternative hypotheses with selective and environmental effects. Close attention to the limitations of research on polygenic phenomena is important for the interpretation of their relationship to human population differences.

INTRODUCTION

We are currently witnessing a surge in public interest in the intersection of evolutionary genetics with such topics as cognitive phenotypes, disease, race and heritability of human traits [1–7]. This attention emerges partly from recent advances in genomics, including the introduction of polygenic scores—the aggregation of estimated effects of genome-wide variants to predict the contribution of a person’s genome to a phenotypic trait [8–10]—and a new focus on polygenic adaptations, namely adaptations that have occurred by natural selection on traits influenced by many genes [11–13].

Theories involving natural selection have long been applied in the scientific literature to explain mean phenotypic differences among human populations [14–16]. Although new tools for statistical analysis of polygenic variation and polygenic adaptation provide opportunities for studying human evolution and the genetic basis of traits, they also generate potential for misinterpretation. In the past, public attention to research on human variation and its possible evolutionary basis has often been accompanied by claims that are not justified by the research findings [17]. Recognizing pitfalls in the interpretation of new research on human variation is therefore important for advancing discussions on associated sensitive and controversial topics.

The contribution of polygenic score distributions to phenotype distributions. Two populations are considered, populations 1 (red) and 2 (blue). Each population has a distribution of genetic propensities, which are treated as accurately estimated in the form of polygenic scores (left). The genetic propensity distribution and an environment distribution sum to produce a phenotype distribution (right). All plots have the same numerical scale. (A) Environmental differences amplify an underlying difference in genetic propensities. (B) Populations differ in their phenotypes despite having no differences in genetic propensity distributions. (C) Environmental differences obscure a difference in genetic propensities opposite in direction to the difference in phenotype means. (D) Similarity in phenotype distributions is achieved despite a difference in genetic propensity distributions by an intervention that reduces the environmental contribution for individuals with polygenic scores above a threshold. (E) Within populations, heritability is high, so that genetic variation explains the majority of phenotypic variation; however, the difference between populations is explained by an environmental difference. Panels (A–C and E) present independent normal distributions for genotype and environment that sum to produce normal distributions for phenotype. In (D), (genotype, environment) pairs are simulated from independent normal distributions and a negative constant—reflecting the effect of a medication or other intervention—is added to environmental contributions associated with simulated genotypic values that exceed a threshold

Summary

These limitations illustrate that much of the complexity embedded in use of polygenic scores—the effects of the environment on phenotype and its relationship to genotype, the proportion of variance explained, and the peculiarities of the underlying GWAS data that have been used to estimate effect sizes—is obscured by the apparent simplicity of the single values computed for each individual for each phenotype. Consequently, in using polygenic scores to describe genomic contributions to traits, particularly traits for which the total contribution of genetic variation to trait variation, as measured by heritability, is low—but even if it is high (Fig. 1E)—a difference in polygenic scores between populations provides little information about potential genetic bases for trait differences between those populations.

Unlike heritability, which ranges from 0 to 1 and therefore makes it obvious that the remaining contribution to phenotypic variation is summarized by its difference from 1, the limited explanatory role of genetics is not embedded in the nature of the polygenic scores themselves. Although polygenic scores encode knowledge about specific genetic correlates of trait variation, they do not change the conceptual framework for genetic and environmental contribution to population differences. Attributions of phenotypic differences among populations to genetic differences should therefore be treated with as much caution as similar genetic attributions from heritability in the pre-genomic era.

 

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CRISPR-Cas9 and the Power of Butterfly Gene Editing

Reporter: Madison Davis

Genome editing is a relatively new branch of genetic engineering that utilizes modern technologies in altering, inserting, or deleting selective DNA sequences within cells.  CRISPR-Cas9, otherwise known as “Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat”, is a groundbreaking genome editing technique for scientists, as it is more efficient and allows for more precise genome changes at less of a cost in comparison to other editing methods.  The CRISPR-Cas9 procedure chiefly involves two biological molecules: an enzyme known as “Cas9” whose role is to cut the DNA during transcription, and a guide RNA molecule located within the Cas9 enzyme.  

The process of extracting and editing certain segments of DNA begins with identifying the respective segment of DNA to edit, typically around twenty nucleotides in length but can vary depending on the goal of the scientists.  This selection process can be based on prior knowledge of gene mapping sequences or random experimentation.  Upon identifying the segment, scientists will manually formulate a guide RNA molecule that matches the sequence of nucleotides found in the DNA sequence.  This gRNA molecule will then be placed in empty Cas9 enzymes.  Through the process of transcription, Cas9 enzymes will find and cut out the designated DNA sequence, where scientists are then able to insert, delete, or modify certain sequences by hand under high-definition microscopes.  

The usage of CRISPR can range from identifying tumor suppressor genes to gene mapping for species.  In recent years, it has been used more specifically to understand the evolutionary genetics behind butterfly wing patterns.  Butterfly wings are constructed from two separate layers that contain thousands of individual scales made of a hard protein called chitin.  Each individual scale contains embedded structures and pigments that reflect or absorb certain colors of light depending on their wavelengths.  Their unique structures allows certain butterfly species to exhibit wide ranges of color variation.  All together, these scales can act as identification, insulation, and camouflage. 

Through selective processing, scientists were able to identify how a loss in a certain genetic sequence labeled WntA results in a reduction in CSS (Central Symmetry Systems) and pattern boundaries, resulting in more abstract wing patterns.  A research expedition led by Anyi Mazo-Vargas experimented on two species, Heliconius erato demophoon and Heliconius sara sara.  Each butterfly wing pair composed of mainly black pigment with two main stripe patterns consisting of red and yellow and blue and white for each species, respectively.  When the WntA gene was removed in offspring, there was an increase in color pigment in areas that were previously black scales.   For instance, in Heliconius erato demophoon, there appeared to be more blurred red and yellow pigment rather than distinct colored stripe patterns.  The WntA gene was also experimented in monarch butterflies, where an absence in WnTA genes caused the initially black tipped-scales of the monarch wings to become a whiter, “bleached” pigment.

While efficient in scale, CRISPR-Cas9 editing system is often riddled with mosaic mutations, which can be a challenge in making valid conclusions in gene editing.  Mosaicism is a process of gene editing that results in an individual having multiple cells with different DNA sequences.  Not all cells of a singular individual contain the same genetic code.  When editing genetic sequences during the larva stage, not all subsequent cells are affected by such a change, and thus changes in butterfly wings can only be partially identified.  As CRISPR and other gene editing technologies continue to evolve, scientists should try to increase the accuracy of their experiments, such as editing genes in earlier germline cells or varying their experiments on more subspecies for more data analysis. 

 

SOURCES

“What Are Genome Editing and CRISPR-Cas9? – Genetics Home Reference – NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 17 Aug. 2020, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/genomeediting.

Pak, Ekaterina. “CRISPR: A Game-Changing Genetic Engineering Technique.” Science in the News, 31 July 2014, sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2014/crispr-a-game-changing-genetic-engineering-technique/.

Mazo-Vargas, A., Concha, C., Livraghi, L., Massardo, D., Wallbank, R., Zhang, L., Papador, J., Martinez-Najera, D., Jiggins, C., Kronforst, M., Breuker, C., Reed, R., Patel, N., McMillan, W. and Martin, A., 2020. Macroevolutionary Shifts Of Wnta Function Potentiate Butterfly Wing-Pattern Diversity. [online] PNAS. Available at: https://www.pnas.org/content/114/40/10701 [Accessed 20 August 2020].

Mehravar, Maryam, et al. “Mosaicism in CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing.” Developmental Biology, Academic Press, 22 Oct. 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012160618302513.

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2020/08/29/prime-editing-as-a-new-crispr-tool-to-enhance-precision-and-versatility/

 

 

CAST – Alternative to CRISPR/Cas9 3
Select CRISPR alternative for editing genes without cuttingCRISPR alternative for editing genes without cutting3
Select CRISPR applied to Human Germ LineCRISPR applied to Human Germ Line66
Select CRISPR/Cas9 & Gene EditingCRISPR/Cas9 & Gene Editing5
Select Transposon-encoded CRISPR–Cas systems direct RNA-guided DNA integrationTransposon-encoded CRISPR–Cas systems direct RNA-guided DNA integration
3

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WordCloud Visualization of LPBI’s Top Sixteen Articles on GENOMICS by Views at All Time and their Research Categories in the Ontology of PharmaceuticalIntelligence.com

Curators: Stephen J. Williams, Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN and WordCloud Producers: Daniel Menzin, Noam Steiner-Tomer, Zach Day, Ofer Markman, PhD

Now we will do the same for Genomics Volume I so for your pre class homework first read the following electronic Table of Contents

and then determine some themes around the table of contents into a mind map of what you think are the scientists/clinicians main themes on the field of Genomics

Genomics eTOC at

Volume One: Genomics Orientations for Personalized Medicine

Content Consultant: Larry H Bernstein, MD, FCAP

Genomics Orientations for Personalized Medicine

Volume One

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018DHBUO6

genomicsebook3[1]

Image Collage by SJ Williams, PhD, Google Images in Assembly

Larry H Bernstein, MD, FCAP, Senior Editor

Triplex Medical Science, Trumbull, CT

Larry.bernstein@gmail.com

 and

Stephen J. Williams, PhD, Editor

Leaders in Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence, Philadelphia

sjwilliamspa@comcast.net

and

Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN, Editor

Editor-in-Chief BioMed E-Book Series

Leaders in Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence, Boston

avivalev-ari@alum.berkeley.edu

Article Title (Live Link)All Time ViewsCategories of Research
#1


Big Data in Genomic Medicine
696Bio Instrumentation in Experimental Life Sciences ResearchChemical Biology and its relations to Metabolic DiseaseChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalStatistical Methods for Research EvaluationTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

#1

Big Data in Genomic Medicine

Article #1: Word Cloud by NT

   
Article Title (Live Link)All Time ViewsCategories of Research
#2


Unraveling Retrograde Signaling Pathways
~57Biological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionCell Biology, Signaling & Cell CircuitsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsDisease Biology, Small Molecules in Development of Therapeutic DrugsGenome BiologyInternational Global Work in PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPharmaceutical Industry Competitive Intelligence

#2

Unraveling Retrograde Signaling Pathways

Article #2: Word Cloud by NT

   
Article Title (Live Link)All Time ViewsCategories of Research
#3


Genomics of Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses
~69
Biological Networks, Gene Regulation and Evolution
Computational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsDisease Biology, Small Molecules in Development of Therapeutic DrugsGenome BiologyInfectious Disease & New Antibiotic TargetsInternational Global Work in PharmaceuticalMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPharmaceutical Industry Competitive IntelligencePopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalScientist: Career considerationsTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

#3

Genomics of Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses

Article #3: Word Cloud by NT

   
Article Title (Live Link)All Time ViewsCategories of Research
#4


Genetics and Male Endocrinology
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Genetics and Male Endocrinology

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Genomics and Evolution
~127Biological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisMedical and Population GeneticsPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPopulation Health Management, Genetics & Pharmaceutical

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Genomics and Evolution

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Directions for Genomics in Personalized Medicine
668Biological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionCANCER BIOLOGY & Innovations in Cancer TherapyCell Biology, Signaling & Cell CircuitsChemical Biology and its relations to Metabolic DiseaseGenome BiologyInternational Global Work in PharmaceuticalMetabolomicsMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPharmacogenomics

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Directions for Genomics in Personalized Medicine

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FDA Warning for the Leader of Consumer Market for Personal DNA Sequencing: Part 4
~353Biomarkers & Medical DiagnosticsCardiovascular PharmacogenomicsChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisMedical and Population GeneticsMetabolomicsMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPharmaceutical R&D InvestmentPharmacogenomicsPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalReproductive Andrology, Embryology, Genomic Endocrinology, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Reproductive GenomicsStem Cells for Regenerative MedicineTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

#7

FDA Warning for the Leader of Consumer Market for Personal DNA Sequencing: Part 4

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#8


Sunitinib brings Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) to Remission – RNA Sequencing – FLT3 Receptor Blockade
983
Bio Instrumentation in Experimental Life Sciences Research
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Sunitinib brings Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) to Remission – RNA Sequencing – FLT3 Receptor Blockade

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#9


Advances in Separations Technology for the “OMICs” and Clarification of Therapeutic Targets
~267Alzheimer’s DiseaseBio Instrumentation in Experimental Life Sciences ResearchBiological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionBiomarkers & Medical DiagnosticsCANCER BIOLOGY & Innovations in Cancer TherapyCell Biology, Signaling & Cell CircuitsChemical Biology and its relations to Metabolic DiseaseComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsDisease Biology, Small Molecules in Development of Therapeutic DrugsGenome BiologyImaging-based Cancer Patient ManagementInternational Global Work in PharmaceuticalMetabolomicsMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalNanotechnology for Drug DeliveryNutrigenomicsNutritionPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPharmaceutical Industry Competitive IntelligencePharmaceutical R&D InvestmentPharmacotherapy and Cell ActivityPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalPopulation Health Management, Nutrition and PhytochemistryProteomicsTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

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Advances in Separations Technology for the “OMICs” and Clarification of Therapeutic Targets

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Computational Genomics Center: New Unification of Computational Technologies at Stanford
~141Biological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionBiomarkers & Medical DiagnosticsCardiovascular PharmacogenomicsChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisMedical and Population GeneticsMetabolomicsMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalProteomicsReproductive Andrology, Embryology, Genomic Endocrinology, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Reproductive GenomicsScientist: Career considerationsStatistical Methods for Research EvaluationTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

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Computational Genomics Center: New Unification of Computational Technologies at Stanford

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DNA structure and Oligonucleotides
2,290Chemical Biology and its relations to Metabolic DiseaseChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsDisease Biology, Small Molecules in Development of Therapeutic DrugsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisInternational Global Work in PharmaceuticalMetabolomicsMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPharmaceutical Industry Competitive IntelligencePharmacogenomicsPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

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DNA structure and Oligonucleotides

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Drugging the Epigenome
~143Genome Biology 

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Drugging the Epigenome

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Genome-Wide Detection of Single-Nucleotide and Copy-Number Variation of a Single Human Cell 
~73Bio Instrumentation in Experimental Life Sciences ResearchBiological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionCANCER BIOLOGY & Innovations in Cancer TherapyCell Biology, Signaling & Cell CircuitsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisHealth Economics and Outcomes ResearchMedical and Population GeneticsPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPopulation Health Management, Genetics & Pharmaceutical

#13

Genome-Wide Detection of Single-Nucleotide and Copy-Number Variation of a Single Human Cell 

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#14


Genetic Basis of Complex Human Diseases: Dan Koboldt’s Advice to Next-Generation Sequencing Neophytes
~113Biological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisMedical and Population GeneticsPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalProteomicsStatistical Methods for Research EvaluationTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical

#14

Genetic Basis of Complex Human Diseases: Dan Koboldt’s Advice to Next-Generation Sequencing Neophytes

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Personal Tale of JL’s Whole Genome Sequencing
~143Bio Instrumentation in Experimental Life Sciences ResearchChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisMedical and Population GeneticsMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPatient Experience: Personal Memories of Invasive Medical IntervantionPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPopulation Health Management, Genetics & PharmaceuticalTechnology Transfer: Biotech and Pharmaceutical 

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Personal Tale of JL’s Whole Genome Sequencing

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Nobel Laureate Jack Szostak Previews his Plenary Keynote for Drug Discovery Chemistry
~222Advanced Drug Manufacturing TechnologyBiological Networks, Gene Regulation and EvolutionBiomarkers & Medical DiagnosticsBioSimilarsChemical Biology and its relations to Metabolic DiseaseChemical GeneticsComputational Biology/Systems and BioinformaticsDisease Biology, Small Molecules in Development of Therapeutic DrugsDrug Delivery Platform TechnologyGenome BiologyGenomic Testing: Methodology for DiagnosisInterviews with Scientific LeadersMolecular Genetics & PharmaceuticalPersonalized and Precision Medicine & Genomic ResearchPharmaceutical Industry Competitive IntelligencePharmaceutical R&D InvestmentProteomicsScientist: Career considerationsSystemic Inflammatory Response Related Disorders

#16

Nobel Laureate Jack Szostak Previews his Plenary Keynote for Drug Discovery Chemistry

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List of Contributors to Volume One

Larry Bernstein, MD, FCAP,  Senior Editor 

Introduction 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 4.6, 4.8, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.5, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14, 6.16, 6.17, 8.5, 8.6, 9.6, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 11.1, 11.7, 11.10, 11.11, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.6, 12.8, 13.8, 13.9, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5, 14.6, 14.7, 14.8, 14.9, 15.5, 15.8, 15.9, 15.9.4, 15.11, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.5, 17.2, 18.1, 18.2, 18.5, 18.6, 20.2, 20.3, 20.4, 20.5, 20.6, Introduction-21, Summary-21, Volume Summary, Epilogue

Stephen J. Williams, PhD, Editor

2.3, 2.7, 6.15, 7.6, 8.8, 11.8, 12.5, 12.7, 15.3, 20.7, Introduction-21

Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN, Editor-in-Chief, BioMed e-Books Series

1.6, 2.1, 2.5, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8, 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 6.18, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.7, 8.9, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.8, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.8, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.9, 12.1, 13.5 13.7, 15.1, 15.2, 15.4, 15.6, 15.7, 15.9.1, 15.9.2, 15.9.3, 15.9.5, 15.10, 17.1, 18.3, 18.4, 19.4, 19.5, 20.1, 20.8, 21.1.1, 21.1.2, 21.1.3, 21.1.4, 21.2.1, 21.2.2, 21.2.3, 21.2.4, 21.3.1, 21.3.2, 21.4.2

Sudipta Saha, PhD
1.3, 6.6, 11.6, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 19.1, 19.2, 19.6, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9, 19.10

Ritu Saxena, PhD
4.2, 6.4, 9.7, 13.6, 14.1, 17.3, 17.4, 17.5, 19.3

Tilda Barlyia, PhD
8.4, 13.1, 14.2

Anamika Sarkar, PhD
4.3

Marcus W Feldman, PhD, Professor of Computational BiologyStanford University, Department of Biology

2.4

Demet Sag, PhD

4.7, 4.9, 4.10

electronic Table of Contents

Chapter 1

1.1 Advances in the Understanding of the Human Genome The Initiation and Growth of Molecular Biology and Genomics – Part I

1.2 CRACKING THE CODE OF HUMAN LIFE: Milestones along the Way – Part IIA

1.3 DNA – The Next-Generation Storage Media for Digital Information

1.4 CRACKING THE CODE OF HUMAN LIFE: Recent Advances in Genomic Analysis and Disease – Part IIC

1.5 Advances in Separations Technology for the “OMICs” and Clarification of Therapeutic Targets

1.6 Genomic Analysis: FLUIDIGM Technology in the Life Science and Agricultural Biotechnology

Chapter 2

2.1 2013 Genomics: The Era Beyond the Sequencing of the Human Genome: Francis Collins, Craig Venter, Eric Lander, et al.

2.2 DNA structure and Oligonucleotides

2.3 Genome-Wide Detection of Single-Nucleotide and Copy-Number Variation of a Single Human Cell 

2.4 Genomics and Evolution

2.5 Protein-folding Simulation: Stanford’s Framework for Testing and Predicting Evolutionary Outcomes in Living Organisms – Work by Marcus Feldman

2.6 The Binding of Oligonucleotides in DNA and 3-D Lattice Structures

2.7 Finding the Genetic Links in Common Disease: Caveats of Whole Genome Sequencing Studies

Chapter 3

3.1 Big Data in Genomic Medicine

3.2 CRACKING THE CODE OF HUMAN LIFE: The Birth of Bioinformatics & Computational Genomics – Part IIB 

3.3 Expanding the Genetic Alphabet and linking the Genome to the Metabolome

3.4 Metabolite Identification Combining Genetic and Metabolic Information: Genetic Association Links Unknown Metabolites to Functionally Related Genes

3.5 MIT Scientists on Proteomics: All the Proteins in the Mitochondrial Matrix identified

3.6 Identification of Biomarkers that are Related to the Actin Cytoskeleton

3.7 Genetic basis of Complex Human Diseases: Dan Koboldt’s Advice to Next-Generation Sequencing Neophytes

3.8 MIT Team Researches Regulatory Motifs and Gene Expression of Erythroleukemia (K562) and Liver Carcinoma (HepG2) Cell Lines

Chapter 4

4.1 ENCODE Findings as Consortium

4.2 ENCODE: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Complex Genetic Diseases

4.3 Reveals from ENCODE Project will Invite High Synergistic Collaborations to Discover Specific Targets  

4.4 Human Variome Project: encyclopedic catalog of sequence variants indexed to the human genome sequence

4.5 Human Genome Project – 10th Anniversary: Interview with Kevin Davies, PhD – The $1000 Genome

4.6 Quantum Biology And Computational Medicine

4.7 The Underappreciated EpiGenome

4.8 Unraveling Retrograde Signaling Pathways

4.9  “The SILENCE of the Lambs” Introducing The Power of Uncoded RNA

4.10  DNA: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but there is no JUNK after all

Chapter 5

5.1 Paradigm Shift in Human Genomics – Predictive Biomarkers and Personalized Medicine – Part 1 

5.2 Computational Genomics Center: New Unification of Computational Technologies at Stanford

5.3 Personalized Medicine: An Institute Profile – Coriell Institute for Medical Research: Part 3

5.4 Cancer Genomics – Leading the Way by Cancer Genomics Program at UC Santa Cruz

5.5 Genome and Genetics: Resources @Stanford, @MIT, @NIH’s NCBCS

5.6 NGS Market: Trends and Development for Genotype-Phenotype Associations Research

5.7 Speeding Up Genome Analysis: MIT Algorithms for Direct Computation on Compressed Genomic Datasets

5.8  Modeling Targeted Therapy

5.9 Transphosphorylation of E-coli Proteins and Kinase Specificity

5.10 Genomics of Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses

Chapter 6

6.1  Directions for Genomics in Personalized Medicine

6.2 Ubiquinin-Proteosome pathway, Autophagy, the Mitochondrion, Proteolysis and Cell Apoptosis: Part III

6.3 Mitochondrial Damage and Repair under Oxidative Stress

6.4 Mitochondria: More than just the “Powerhouse of the Cell”

6.5 Mechanism of Variegation in Immutans

6.6 Impact of Evolutionary Selection on Functional Regions: The imprint of Evolutionary Selection on ENCODE Regulatory Elements is Manifested between Species and within Human Populations

6.7 Cardiac Ca2+ Signaling: Transcriptional Control

6.8 Unraveling Retrograde Signaling Pathways

6.9 Reprogramming Cell Fate

6.10 How Genes Function

6.11 TALENs and ZFNs

6.12 Zebrafish—Susceptible to Cancer

6.13 RNA Virus Genome as Bacterial Chromosome

6.14 Cloning the Vaccinia Virus Genome as a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome 

6.15 Telling NO to Cardiac Risk- DDAH Says NO to ADMA(1); The DDAH/ADMA/NOS Pathway(2)

6.16  Transphosphorylation of E-coli proteins and kinase specificity

6.17 Genomics of Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses

6.18  Diagnosing Diseases & Gene Therapy: Precision Genome Editing and Cost-effective microRNA Profiling

Chapter 7

7.1 Harnessing Personalized Medicine for Cancer Management, Prospects of Prevention and Cure: Opinions of Cancer Scientific Leaders @ http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com

7.2 Consumer Market for Personal DNA Sequencing: Part 4

7.3 GSK for Personalized Medicine using Cancer Drugs Needs Alacris Systems Biology Model to Determine the In Silico Effect of the Inhibitor in its “Virtual Clinical Trial”

7.4 Drugging the Epigenome

7.5 Nation’s Biobanks: Academic institutions, Research institutes and Hospitals – vary by Collections Size, Types of Specimens and Applications: Regulations are Needed

7.6 Personalized Medicine: Clinical Aspiration of Microarrays

Chapter 8

8.1 Personalized Medicine as Key Area for Future Pharmaceutical Growth

8.2 Inaugural Genomics in Medicine – The Conference Program, 2/11-12/2013, San Francisco, CA

8.3 The Way With Personalized Medicine: Reporters’ Voice at the 8th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference, 11/28-29, 2012, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

8.4 Nanotechnology, Personalized Medicine and DNA Sequencing

8.5 Targeted Nucleases

8.6 Transcript Dynamics of Proinflammatory Genes

8.7 Helping Physicians identify Gene-Drug Interactions for Treatment Decisions: New ‘CLIPMERGE’ program – Personalized Medicine @ The Mount Sinai Medical Center

8.8 Intratumor Heterogeneity and Branched Evolution Revealed by Multiregion Sequencing[1]

8.9 Diagnosing Diseases & Gene Therapy: Precision Genome Editing and Cost-effective microRNA Profiling

Chapter 9

9.1 Personal Tale of JL’s Whole Genome Sequencing

9.2 Inspiration From Dr. Maureen Cronin’s Achievements in Applying Genomic Sequencing to Cancer Diagnostics

9.3 Inform Genomics Developing SNP Test to Predict Side Effects, Help MDs Choose among Chemo Regimens

9.4 SNAP: Predict Effect of Non-synonymous Polymorphisms: How Well Genome Interpretation Tools could Translate to the Clinic

9.5  LEADERS in Genome Sequencing of Genetic Mutations for Therapeutic Drug Selection in Cancer Personalized Treatment: Part 2

9.6 The Initiation and Growth of Molecular Biology and Genomics – Part I

9.7 Personalized Medicine-based Cure for Cancer Might Not Be Far Away

9.8 Personalized Medicine: Cancer Cell Biology and Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)

 Chapter 10

10.1 Pfizer’s Kidney Cancer Drug Sutent Effectively caused REMISSION to Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

10.2 Imatinib (Gleevec) May Help Treat Aggressive Lymphoma: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

10.3 Winning Over Cancer Progression: New Oncology Drugs to Suppress Passengers Mutations vs. Driver Mutations

10.4 Treatment for Metastatic HER2 Breast Cancer

10.5 Personalized Medicine in NSCLC

10.6 Gene Sequencing – to the Bedside

10.7 DNA Sequencing Technology

10.8 Nobel Laureate Jack Szostak Previews his Plenary Keynote for Drug Discovery Chemistry

Chapter 11

11.1 mRNA Interference with Cancer Expression

11.2 Angiogenic Disease Research Utilizing microRNA Technology: UCSD and Regulus Therapeutics

11.3 Sunitinib brings Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to Remission – RNA Sequencing – FLT3 Receptor Blockade

11.4 A microRNA Prognostic Marker Identified in Acute Leukemia 

11.5 MIT Team: Microfluidic-based approach – A Vectorless delivery of Functional siRNAs into Cells.

11.6 Targeted Tumor-Penetrating siRNA Nanocomplexes for Credentialing the Ovarian Cancer Oncogene ID4

11.7 When Clinical Application of miRNAs?

11.8 How mobile elements in “Junk” DNA promote cancer. Part 1: Transposon-mediated tumorigenesis,

11.9 Potential Drug Target: Glycolysis Regulation – Oxidative Stress-responsive microRNA-320

11.10  MicroRNA Molecule May Serve as Biomarker

11.11 What about Circular RNAs?

Chapter 12

12.1 The “Cancer Establishments” Examined by James Watson, Co-discoverer of DNA w/Crick, 4/1953

12.2 Otto Warburg, A Giant of Modern Cellular Biology

12.3 Is the Warburg Effect the Cause or the Effect of Cancer: A 21st Century View?

12.4 Hypothesis – Following on James Watson

12.5 AMPK Is a Negative Regulator of the Warburg Effect and Suppresses Tumor Growth In Vivo

12.6 AKT signaling variable effects

12.7 Rewriting the Mathematics of Tumor Growth; Teams Use Math Models to Sort Drivers from Passengers

12.8 Phosphatidyl-5-Inositol signaling by Pin1

Chapter 13

13.1 Nanotech Therapy for Breast Cancer

13.2 BRCA1 a tumour suppressor in breast and ovarian cancer – functions in transcription, ubiquitination and DNA repair

13.3 Exome sequencing of serous endometrial tumors shows recurrent somatic mutations in chromatin-remodeling and ubiquitin ligase complex genes

13.4 Recurrent somatic mutations in chromatin-remodeling and ubiquitin ligase complex genes in serous endometrial tumors

13.5 Prostate Cancer: Androgen-driven “Pathomechanism” in Early onset Forms of the Disease

13.6 In focus: Melanoma Genetics

13.7 Head and Neck Cancer Studies Suggest Alternative Markers More Prognostically Useful than HPV DNA Testing

13.8 Breast Cancer and Mitochondrial Mutations

13.9  Long noncoding RNA network regulates PTEN transcription

Chapter 14

14.1 HBV and HCV-associated Liver Cancer: Important Insights from the Genome

14.2 Nanotechnology and HIV/AIDS treatment

14.3 IRF-1 Deficiency Skews the Differentiation of Dendritic Cells

14.4 Sepsis, Multi-organ Dysfunction Syndrome, and Septic Shock: A Conundrum of Signaling Pathways Cascading Out of Control

14.5  Five Malaria Genomes Sequenced

14.6 Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

14.7 Approach to Controlling Pathogenic Inflammation in Arthritis

14.8 RNA Virus Genome as Bacterial Chromosome

14.9 Cloning the Vaccinia Virus Genome as a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome

Chapter 15

15.1 Personalized Cardiovascular Genetic Medicine at Partners HealthCare and Harvard Medical School

15.2 Congestive Heart Failure & Personalized Medicine: Two-gene Test predicts response to Beta Blocker Bucindolol

15.3 DDAH Says NO to ADMA(1); The DDAH/ADMA/NOS Pathway(2)

15.4 Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR-gamma) Receptors Activation: PPARγ Transrepression for Angiogenesis in Cardiovascular Disease and PPARγ Transactivation for Treatment of Diabetes

15.5 BARI 2D Trial Outcomes

15.6 Gene Therapy Into Healthy Heart Muscle: Reprogramming Scar Tissue In Damaged Hearts

15.7 Obstructive coronary artery disease diagnosed by RNA levels of 23 genes – CardioDx, a Pioneer in the Field of Cardiovascular Genomic  Diagnostics

15.8 Ca2+ signaling: transcriptional control

15.9 Lp(a) Gene Variant Association

15.9.1 Two Mutations, in the PCSK9 Gene: Eliminates a Protein involved in Controlling LDL Cholesterol

15.9.2. Genomics & Genetics of Cardiovascular Disease Diagnoses: A Literature Survey of AHA’s Circulation Cardiovascular Genetics, 3/2010 – 3/2013

15.9.3 Synthetic Biology: On Advanced Genome Interpretation for Gene Variants and Pathways: What is the Genetic Base of Atherosclerosis and Loss of Arterial Elasticity with Aging

15.9.4 The Implications of a Newly Discovered CYP2J2 Gene Polymorphism Associated with Coronary Vascular Disease in the Uygur Chinese Population

15.9.5  Gene, Meis1, Regulates the Heart’s Ability to Regenerate after Injuries.

15.10 Genetics of Conduction Disease: Atrioventricular (AV) Conduction Disease (block): Gene Mutations – Transcription, Excitability, and Energy Homeostasis

15.11 How Might Sleep Apnea Lead to Serious Health Concerns like Cardiac and Cancers?

Chapter 16

16.1 Can Resolvins Suppress Acute Lung Injury?

16.2 Lipoxin A4 Regulates Natural Killer Cell in Asthma

16.3 Biological Therapeutics for Asthma

16.4 Genomics of Bronchial Epithelial Dysplasia

16.5 Progression in Bronchial Dysplasia

Chapter 17

17.1 Breakthrough Digestive Disorders Research: Conditions Affecting the Gastrointestinal Tract.

17.2 Liver Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Hepatosteatosis

17.3 Biomarkers-identified-for-recurrence-in-hbv-related-hcc-patients-post-surgery

17.4  Usp9x: Promising Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Cancer

17.5 Battle of Steve Jobs and Ralph Steinman with Pancreatic cancer: How We Lost

Chapter 18

18.1 Ubiquitin Pathway Involved in Neurodegenerative Disease

18.2 Genomic Promise for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementias, Autism Spectrum, Schizophrenia, and Serious Depression

18.3 Neuroprotective Therapies: Pharmacogenomics vs Psychotropic Drugs and Cholinesterase Inhibitors

18.4 Ustekinumab New Drug Therapy for Cognitive Decline Resulting from Neuroinflammatory Cytokine Signaling and Alzheimer’s Disease

18.5 Cell Transplantation in Brain Repair

18.6 Alzheimer’s Disease Conundrum – Are We Near the End of the Puzzle?

Chapter 19

19.1 Genetics and Male Endocrinology

19.2 Genomic Endocrinology and its Future

19.3 Commentary on Dr. Baker’s post “Junk DNA Codes for Valuable miRNAs: Non-coding DNA Controls Diabetes”

19.4 Therapeutic Targets for Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders

19.5 Secondary Hypertension caused by Aldosterone-producing Adenomas caused by Somatic Mutations in ATP1A1 and ATP2B3 (adrenal cortical; medullary or Organ of Zuckerkandl is pheochromocytoma)

19.6 Personal Recombination Map from Individual’s Sperm Cell and its Importance

19.7 Gene Trap Mutagenesis in Reproductive Research

19.8 Pregnancy with a Leptin-Receptor Mutation

19.9 Whole-genome Sequencing in Probing the Meiotic Recombination and Aneuploidy of Single Sperm Cells

19.10 Reproductive Genetic Testing

Chapter 20

20.1 Genomics & Ethics: DNA Fragments are Products of Nature or Patentable Genes?

20.2 Understanding the Role of Personalized Medicine

20.3 Attitudes of Patients about Personalized Medicine

20.4  Genome Sequencing of the Healthy

20.5   Genomics in Medicine – Tomorrow’s Promise

20.6  The Promise of Personalized Medicine

20.7 Ethical Concerns in Personalized Medicine: BRCA1/2 Testing in Minors and Communication of Breast Cancer Risk

 20.8 Genomic Liberty of Ownership, Genome Medicine and Patenting the Human Genome

Chapter 21

Recent Advances in Gene Editing Technology Adds New Therapeutic Potential for the Genomic Era:  Medical Interpretation of the Genomics Frontier – CRISPR – Cas9

Introduction

21.1 Introducing CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Technology – Works by Jennifer A. Doudna

21.1.1 Ribozymes and RNA Machines – Work of Jennifer A. Doudna

21.1.2 Evaluate your Cas9 gene editing vectors: CRISPR/Cas Mediated Genome Engineering – Is your CRISPR gRNA optimized for your cell lines?

21.1.3 2:15 – 2:45, 6/13/2014, Jennifer Doudna “The biology of CRISPRs: from genome defense to genetic engineering”

21.1.4  Prediction of the Winner RNA Technology, the FRONTIER of SCIENCE on RNA Biology, Cancer and Therapeutics  & The Start Up Landscape in BostonGene Editing – New Technology The Missing link for Gene Therapy?

21.2 CRISPR in Other Labs

21.2.1 CRISPR @MIT – Genome Surgery

21.2.2 The CRISPR-Cas9 System: A Powerful Tool for Genome Engineering and Regulation

Yongmin Yan and Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer, Houston, USADaoyan Wei*

21.2.3 New Frontiers in Gene Editing: Transitioning From the Lab to the Clinic, February 19-20, 2015 | The InterContinental San Francisco | San Francisco, CA

21.2.4 Gene Therapy and the Genetic Study of Disease: @Berkeley and @UCSF – New DNA-editing technology spawns bold UC initiative as Crispr Goes Global

21.2.5 CRISPR & MAGE @ George Church’s Lab @ Harvard

21.3 Patents Awarded and Pending for CRISPR

21.3.1 Litigation on the Way: Broad Institute Gets Patent on Revolutionary Gene-Editing Method

21.3.2 The Patents for CRISPR, the DNA editing technology as the Biggest Biotech Discovery of the Century

2.4 CRISPR/Cas9 Applications

21.4.1  Inactivation of the human papillomavirus E6 or E7 gene in cervical carcinoma cells using a bacterial CRISPR/Cas 

21.4.2 CRISPR: Applications for Autoimmune Diseases @UCSF

21.4.3 In vivo validated mRNAs

 

21.4.6 Level of Comfort with Making Changes to the DNA of an Organism

21.4.7 Who will be the the First to IPO: Novartis bought in to Intellia (UC, Berkeley) as well as Caribou (UC, Berkeley) vs Editas (MIT)??

21.4.8 CRISPR/Cas9 Finds Its Way As an Important Tool For Drug Discovery & Development

Summary

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Articles on the Use of single cell analysis in COVID-19 research and A machine learning model that can Predict Base-editing Outcomes

 

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

 

From: Richard Lumb <contact@frontlinegenomics.com>

Date: July 1, 2020 at 6:05:55 AM EDT

To: avivalev-ari@alum.berkeley.edu

Subject: FLG Newsletter: Single cell analysis in COVID-19 research, a machine learning model that can predict base-editing outcomes & much more

Reply-To: contact@frontlinegenomics.com

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Dear Aviva,

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s webinar on a new approach for exploring the dark genome. If you missed it, you can still watch it ‘on demand’ here.

In the last week, we’ve also launched two more webinar series. Both are free to attend and available live or on-demand:

Single Cell Online: A series of 4 webinars in July, starting on the 9th, focusing on unleashing the full power of single cell technologies. The series includes contributors from Novartis, Merck, Sanofi, Roche, the University of Gothenburg, MGI and Partek. Find out more and register here.

Driving FAIR in BioPharma: A series of 3 webinars in July and August, starting on the 21st July, exploring various use cases of FAIR data implementation to enable the potential of AI and ML in R&D. The series features contributors from AstraZeneca, Roche, Novartis, University of Oxford, ONTOFORCE, FDA, Eurofins and CDD. Click here to find out more and register.

Finally, this week on the website we have some fantastic content for you, including articles on the use of single cell analysis in COVID-19 research and a machine learning model that can predict base-editing outcomes. There’s also the latest DNA Today Podcasts focusing on infertility, featuring insights from genetic counsellors and the writer and producer of an explosive genetics mystery sci-fi movie called ANYA (check it out, it’s very thought provoking).

Stay safe everyone. 

Kind Regards,

Rich

Richard Lumb PhD

Founder & CEO

Front Line Genomics

J202, The Biscuit Factory, 100 Drummond Rd, London, SE16 4DG.

T:  +44 (0)208 191 8810

M: +44 (0)7739 251 898

E:  richard@frontlinegenomics.com

W: www.frontlinegenomics.com

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