Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ticking Time Bombs: Cells Successfully Edited By CRISPR Technology Have Increased Risk Of Triggering Cancer
Stat: CRISPR-Edited Cells Might Cause Cancer, Two Studies Find
Editing cells’ genomes with CRISPR-Cas9 might increase the risk that the altered cells, intended to treat disease, will trigger cancer, two studies published on Monday warn — a potential game-changer for the companies developing CRISPR-based therapies. In the studies, published in Nature Medicine, scientists found that cells whose genomes are successfully edited by CRISPR-Cas9 have the potential to seed tumors inside a patient. That could make some CRISPR’d cells ticking time bombs, according to researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and, separately, Novartis. (Begley, 6/11)
Stat: CRISPR Scientists Are In For The Long Haul. Wall Street Is Less Patient
Investors’ bullishness on the potential of gene-editing technologies has turned a trio of startups into multibillion-dollar enterprises. But some unforeseen scientific findings, courtesy of a pair of new scientific papers, provides a jarring reminder to the market: Until this newfangled technology is proved safe in actual humans, investing in CRISPR stocks will remain a head-spinning experience. (Garde, 6/11)
CNBC: CRISPR Stocks Tank After Research Shows Edited Cells Might Cause Cancer
Shares of companies developing CRISPR-based therapies slid Monday after STAT News reported two new studies showed edited cells might cause cancer. Gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 has been hailed as a breakthrough that could allow scientists to treat and possibly even cure genetic diseases. In two studies published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers found editing cells' genomes with the technique might increase the risk of cancer. Those edited cells are those ones that are intended to treat diseases. (LaVito and Tirrell, 6/11)
