Food Safety – The Horse is Out of the Barn . . .

Gene Modification in Produce

Food has been genetically modified since the 1990’s, with tomatoes being the first brought to market. Changes were made within the DNA of the tomatoes causing them to grow faster, larger, and be resistant to pests. Using CRISPR gene editing techniques, we now genetically modify plants and animals using DNA from other species. For example, bacteria DNA is used to modify potatoes, cattle DNA is used to modify salmon, even …

COVID-19 Updates every Wednesday at Noon CST

Listen to Infectious Disease physicians, Drs. Lou and Tom Safranek as they speak on COVID-19 with updates every Wednesday at noon CST by calling 1-415-655-0003 Meeting ID:1457982033#   Dr. Lou Safranek is a Physician specializing in a practice focused on Infectious Disease.  Lou is also a current and founding board member of NCER.  Dr. Tom Safranek is a State Epidemiologist for DHHS in Nebraska.

Omaha World Herald Op-Ed Feature

NCER had the opportunity to comment in the Midlands section of the OWH concerning the ethics of IVF which was used in a complex and unusual birth last month at UNMC.

Midlands Voices: Complex births raise profound bioethical challenges

By Carol Szczepaniak  May 4, 2019

The Omaha World-Herald recently featured the birth of a precious baby girl, Uma. This birth was the result of a unique, complex effort by family members, each of whom was …

The Next Phase of Human Gene-Therapy Oversight

from NCER:In the US, over 700 investigational trials are ongoing in the gene therapy field, and with the rapid adoption of CRISPR gene editing technology, the NEJM admits that gene therapy will soon be a “mainstay of treatment for many diseases”. In an attempt to remove any obstacles to fast tracking this research, both the FDA and the NIH have just significantly reduced their oversight. They assert that the risks are not unique nor unpredictable …

Gene-editing technique cures genetic disorder in utero

from NCER: On a positive note, in July, Carnegie Mellon University successfully used gene editing to cure disease in mice while in the uterus, with no risk of negative effects. Over 8 M children are born yearly with birth defects, so the implications of this breakthrough are enormous, introducing the possibility of curing them while in the womb!

Study in mice shows promise for treating genetic conditions during early stages of development

Date: July 9, …

Gene Therapy Lets a French Teen Dodge Sickle Cell Disease

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Scientists Create a Part-Human, Part-Pig Embryo — Raising the Possibility of Interspecies Organ Transplants

Washington Post Jan 26, 2017  Sarah Kaplan

For the first time, scientists have grown an embryo that is part-pig, part-human.

The experiment, described Thursday in the journal Cell, involves injecting human stem cells into the embryo of a pig, then implanting the embryo in the uterus of a sow and allowing it to grow. After four weeks, the stem cells had developed into the precursors of various tissue types, including heart, liver and neurons, and …

Is There a Last-Minute Hitch With 3-Parent Embryo Trials?

December 11, 2016  BioEdge  Michael Cook

Just as scientists in the UK are about to begin clinical trials with three-parent embryos, a study in Nature asserts that it may not work for some patients.

The technique is intended to help women who are carriers of mitochondrial disease to give birth to healthy children. The nuclear DNA is removed from an egg cell, leaving the diseased mitochondria behind; then the DNA is inserted into another woman’s …

CRISPR Used for First Time to Correct Clotting in Newborn and Adult Mice

Nov 30, 2016 Science Daily University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

CRISPR/Cas9, a powerful genome editing tool, is showing promise for efficient correction of disease-causing mutations. For the first time, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a dual gene therapy approach to deliver key components of a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting system to mice to treat hemophilia B. This disorder is also called factor IX deficiency and …

Row Over Allowing Research on 28-Day Embryos

The Guardian Dec 4, 2016  Robin McKie, Science Editor

Scientists will make a controversial call this week to extend the current 14-day limit for carrying out experiments on human embryos to 28 days. The move follows recent breakthroughs that have allowed researchers to double the time embryos can be kept alive in the laboratory.

By extending the current research period, major insights into congenital conditions, heart disease and some cancers could be gained, they will …