As it prepares to advance its lead RNA editing candidate, AIR-001, into a phase I/II trial for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Airna Corp. Inc. closed an oversubscribed $155 million series B financing less than a year after completing its series A round. The company, based in Cambridge, Mass., with research operations in Tübingen, Germany, focuses not only on repairing harmful genetic variants found in rare genetic disorders, but also on introducing beneficial variants that improve health in common conditions.
In the brain, molecular information is transmitted between cells through neural circuits. Synapses establish connections between the pathways that run from one area to another, allowing the most complex organ in the body to fulfill different functions. Cells and neural circuits are the basic biological elements in the study of mental illness. However, the scientific community still does not know how to interpret their role in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Previous studies have shown that protein expression of DOCK7 is increased in skeletal muscle biopsies from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), leading researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and affiliated organizations to assess the functional impact of DOCK7 on normal muscle and embryonic development of zebrafish.
Researchers from the University of Queensland recently provided details on the discovery and preclinical characterization of a new hematopoietic prostaglandin D2 synthase (HPGDS) inhibitor, CLS-189, being developed for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Precision Biosciences Inc. recently presented a new gene-editing approach, PBGENE-DMD, which could allow life-long benefits to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Branchio-Oto-Renal syndrome 1 (BOR1) is caused by pathogenic variants in the EYA1 gene, and the gene behind the pathogenesis of BOR2 is SIX5. Growing evidence exists regarding GATA and PAX-SIX-EYA-DACH transcriptional networks playing a key role in normal development. A case report of a patient harboring a new variant in the DACH1 gene was recently presented.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2E (CMT2E) is a slow and progressive neuropathy characterized by axonal dysfunction. Its clinical phenotype includes muscle weakness and atrophy, sensory loss and reduced nerve conduction velocity, among others.
Mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome (MVAS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by mosaic aneuploidy. Its clinical manifestations include growth and developmental delay, congenital malformations and increased cancer risk. Genetic variants involved in MVAS affect the chromosomal segregation during mitosis, where individuals often show mosaicism and chromosomal instability.
The first complete DNA methylation atlas of 39 human cell types reveals which genes can talk or are silenced, depending on whether their sequence is linked to methyl group epigenetic modification that regulates their expression. This map of on-and-off switches shows differences between the alleles inherited from the father and those from the mother, providing a view of gene expression that can be explored in health and disease independently of the information contained in the DNA sequence.
Investigators from Insmed Inc. have presented new preclinical data on the efficacy of their adenoviral vector (AAV9)-based gene therapy INS-1201 for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).