For the first time ever, American scientists have successfully edited the DNA of a human embryo - in the attempt to correct genes that cause inherited diseases, a report says. Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland managed to modify numerous one-cell embryos using a controversial technique called CRISPR, according to MIT Technology Review. Sources told the school magazine that the team, led by US-based biologist Shoukhrat Mitalipov, was able to safely inject gene-editing chemicals into human eggs near the moment of fertilization. While the embryos were not allowed to be developed for more than a few days, the researchers ultimately proved that they could be efficiently
Fresh insights into how cells detect damage to their DNA - a hallmark of cancer - could help explain how the body keeps disease in check. Scientists have discovered how damage to the cell's genetic material can trigger inflammation, setting in motion processes to remove damaged cells and keep tissues healthy. The findings shed new light on how potentially cancerous cells are flagged so that they can be removed as part of the body's natural surveillance systems before tumors form. A key molecule called cGAS is known to bind DNA, triggering inflammation. Until now, it was not clear how this happens as DNA is usually physically separated from the rest of the cell inside a compartment called the