This month’s issue of Molecular Therapy– the premium journal covering developments in gene transfer- reports two deaths in recent cancer gene transfer studies. Both studies involved a similar anti-cancer strategy, in which a patient’s T cells are genetically modified to mount a strong and sudden immune attack against the patient’s cancer (the particular genetic modification… Continue reading CAR Accidents: Unexpected and Serious Toxicity in Gene Transfer Immunotherapy
Tag: cancer gene transfer
California Dreamin: CIRM Announces New Stem Cell Awards
California’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine just announced a series of large funding awards to fund translational research initiatives involving (mostly) stem cells. The projects funded are telling with respect to what was funded, and what they will attempt to achieve. First, notwithstanding a press release containing the words “bringing stem cell therapies to the clinic,”… Continue reading California Dreamin: CIRM Announces New Stem Cell Awards
The Vision Thing: Update on LCA
Last year’s “big ticket” item at ASGT was results from the first three patients in two gene transfer trials testing nearly identical products against a rare form of congenital blindness, Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). I previously blogged (here and here and here and elsewhere) on the controversial decision to move the intervention into children, given the novelty… Continue reading The Vision Thing: Update on LCA
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
Northern Lights? Canada and the New Tricouncil Draft
Since it’s issuance in 1998, Canada’s Tricouncil Policy Statement (Canada’s policy on the ethics of human research) has had an influence on the practice of research ethics that has outsized Canada’s population. The three research councils– CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC– are presently revising the Tricouncil, and a few days ago, a revised draft was presented… Continue reading Northern Lights? Canada and the New Tricouncil Draft
Northward Migration?
“Since 2005, we’ve started seeing the big 20 pharma corporations making investments [in gene therapy],” says a deputy head in European Medicine Agency (EMEA) in the October 2008 issue of Nature Biotechnology (“Ark floats gene therapy’s boat, for now,” by Randy Osborne). “When you want to know what season is there and when the weather… Continue reading Northward Migration?