Another year, another annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy- now rechristened American Society of Gene AND CELL Therapy. The meeting ends today, and I am way behind in posts. There have been, to my knowledge, no startling new revelations about high impact trials or disastrous adverse events. The studies of Leber’s Congenital… Continue reading ASGCT in Washington DC
Tag: ASGT
ASGT in San Diego
This year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy is in San Diego. I’ve been to several interesting talks thus far, and plan to post entries on a few. For now, here’s an overview of some major (or some not so major) clinical developments in gene transfer that are being reported at this… Continue reading ASGT in San Diego
Soft Cells and C-Sections
The American Society of Gene Therapy is renaming itself: “American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy” (membership has yet to finalize the name change.” The European Society of Gene Therapy has already done so: “European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.” Why is gene transfer going cellular? The publicly stated reasons are two fold. First… Continue reading Soft Cells and C-Sections
Also at ASGT: Collins Steps Down
Francis Collins spoke for the first time after announcing his resignation after fifteen years as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. Collins presided over the completion of the human genome project, as well as a series of other genome sequence and other “big-science” programs like the HapMap. Attendance at Collins’ talk seemed surprisingly… Continue reading Also at ASGT: Collins Steps Down
Also Noted: Almost Licensed
Also noticeable at this year’s ASGT meeting was what seemed to be a larger volume of phase 2 and 3 studies. One session was devoted to “late stage” clinical trials. I did not attend this– it conflicted with sessions on immunology and cancer gene transfer. Still, one observer told me, informally, that the first gene… Continue reading Also Noted: Almost Licensed
Also Hot: Diplomatic Immunity for Vectors
Also hot at the ASGT annual meeting: immunomodulation and gene transfer. The immune system has proven the bane of successful gene transfer (truth be told, there are other banes-like delivery). It confounds results. It causes toxicity. It stymies efficacy. It’s unpredictable. It behaves one way in some tissues-the blood- and another way in other tissues-… Continue reading Also Hot: Diplomatic Immunity for Vectors
What’s HOT: ASGT Annual Meeting
I’ve just returned from the annual American Society of Gene Therapy Meeting. In the next several posts, I share my impressions on the state of the field in 2008. What’s Hot? Retinal gene transfer. The buzzzzzz of the meeting was the recent promising results for the Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis study (discussed in previous posts). In… Continue reading What’s HOT: ASGT Annual Meeting