CRISPR Clinical Trials Ramp Up

Plus: Brain Cancer Breakthrough

Author

Kris Tatiossian, PhD
June 11, 2023

Hi friends 👋🏼,

I spent the last few days in Park City, Utah, for a work event (some of you may remember I recently got a new job). While I haven’t yet disclosed the details of this new job, suffice it to say that I was mingling with the literal inventors of the technologies I write about here. It was a pleasure and a blessing all in one! And who knew making content here and on social media would get me there 😅 

This week we’re doing the same as we always do: breaking down the science behind the diseases YOU request and providing resources to help you access emerging medical technology.

  • CRISPR in Clinical Trials Ramp Up

  • Brain Cancer Breakthrough READER REQUEST

  • Amyloid Plaques and Alzheimer’s READER REQUEST

  • Breyanzi Battles Lymphoma READER REQUEST

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✂️ CRISPR Clinical Trials Ramp Up

Since the discovery of CRISPR as a gene editing tool, the number of CRISPR-based therapies has been ramping up, resulting in a growing number of clinical trials. Here are some fast facts:

1/over 80 CRISPR-based studies are registered on clinicaltrials.gov, with nearly 35 actively recruiting patients (we’ve written about many of these here in The Cure!)

2/ 61% of all CRISPR trials target some form of cancer, followed by hematology (19%), Immunology (7%), Neurology (5%), Ophthalmology (3.5%), Infectious diseases (3.5%), and Genetics (1%).

3/ Most studies are interventional, meaning they are testing a new treatment that will “intervene” to help treat/cure a specific disease (as opposed to an observational study, where patients are merely observed to learn more about a particular condition).

4/ Most studies are in Phase 1 or 2 of clinical development. Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials focus primarily on testing safety.

🧠 Brain Cancer Breakthrough

Brain cancer is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the brain. However, pinpointing the exact causes of brain cancer is challenging; factors that may contribute include genetics, radiation exposure, age, gender, lifestyle, viruses, and other related disorders.

1/ Brain cancer is currently treated with intensive chemotherapy and radiation that can have significant adverse side effects.

Can we develop a new modality of treatment that does not rely on chemo/radiation? 👇🏼(spoiler, yes)

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