Research Roundup: CRISPR And Schizophrenia
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
CIDRAP:
CRISPR-Based Phage Therapy Shows Promise In First Human Trial
Danish microbiome technology company SNIPR Biome today announced positive results from a phase 1 study of their CRISPR-based phage therapy targeting Escherichia coli in the gastrointestinal tract. SNIPR001 contains four bacteriophages (bacteria-killing viruses) armed with CRISPR/Cas DNA editing technology designed to selectively eradicate E coli in the gut, including antibiotic-resistant strains. Interim results from the 36-person phase 1 trial, which aimed to examine the safety profile and pharmacodynamics of SNIPR001, showed that oral dosing over 7 days was well tolerated, with only mild to moderate side effects. In addition, treatment with SNIPR001 numerically lowered gut E coli levels. (Dall, 5/31)
AP:
Researchers Link Death In Gene-Editing Study To A Virus Used To Deliver The Treatment, Not CRISPR
The lone volunteer in a gene-editing study targeting a rare form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy likely died after having a reaction to the virus that delivered the therapy in his body, researchers concluded in an early study. Terry Horgan, 27, of Montour Falls, New York, died last year during one of the first tests of a gene-editing treatment designed for one person. Some scientists wondered if the gene-editing tool CRISPR played a part in his death. The tool has transformed genetic research, sparked the development of dozens of experimental drugs, and won its inventors the Nobel Prize in 2020. But researchers said the virus — one used to carry treatment into the body because it doesn’t usually make people sick — combined with his condition, triggered the problems that ultimately killed him. (Ungar, 5/31)
ScienceDaily:
Further Link Identified Between Autoimmunity And Schizophrenia
Links have been reported between schizophrenia and proteins produced by the immune system that can act against one's own body, known as autoantibodies. Researchers have now identified autoantibodies that target a 'synaptic adhesion protein' in a subset of patients with schizophrenia. (Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 5/31)
