The CRISPR gene editing system has offered scientists a powerful tool for studying the effects of altering specific genes. Now, researchers at the Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology have devised a CRISPR platform that allowed them to discover new roles of genes in human T cells, which they say could aid the design of better cellular immunotherapies.

The Wistar team encoded a native-like trimer—proteins that mimic the structure of the spike target for antibodies—into DNA that was delivered into mice. The researchers said this delivery method aims to turn host bodies into “antigen factories.” They also tested a standard protein immunization on another set of mice.

Editas Medicine has fired Chief Medical Officer Lisa Michaels, M.D., just 15 months into her tenure at the gene editing company.

Acne treatment commercials typically zero in on the blackheads, whiteheads and pimples that populate the face and other parts of the body to emphasize why a consumer would want to treat the skin condition. Now, researchers say they’ve zeroed in on 29 genes that put people at risk for the skin condition and the findings could chart a path to new treatments.

In a move that may not bode well for the special purpose acquisition company deal’s recent dominance in medtech, HeartFlow’s plan to go public via reverse merger has been stalled.

CANbridge is coming for the anti-C5 market. With access to Soliris and Ultomiris limited in parts of the world, CANbridge has taken a rival C5 inhibitor through a phase 1 study, teeing it up to start an early test of the efficacy of the molecule.

Boundless Bio is bolstering its ranks as it gears up to enter human testing, luring Amy Berkley, Ph.D., from Ionis Pharmaceuticals to help drive its anti-cancer therapies into the clinic.

Heart rhythm problems occur when heart muscle cells fail to properly transmit electrical signals that coordinate blood pumping. Now, scientists at Duke University have devised a promising method to restore normal electrical conduction in the heart through a gene therapy.

UCB’s $2.5 billion gamble on Ra Pharmaceuticals has yielded positive phase 3 data. With the rare disease clinical trial hitting its primary endpoint, UCB is preparing to file to join AstraZeneca and argenx in an increasingly congested space.

Tasso, developer of a wearable blood collection device, is pairing up with telehealth provider Vault Health to help simplify the process of performing diagnostic tests at home.