LATEST NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

The Star Tribune has published a major, in-depth analysis of what the zebra mussel invasion means for Minnesota's waterways and what scientists are doing to combat it.

For the first time, an FDA panel has recommended that the agency approve a genetic treatment for leukemia. The therapy has been shown to treat a type of leukemia that sometimes doesn't respond to standard therapies like chemotherapy. It uses genetic engineering – removing cells, editing them and then reintroducing them into the patient's body – to transform the living cells into a weapon against cancer. The clinical trial of 55 people had an 85% effectiveness rate, resulting in remission or possibly a long-term cure.

In an article published in Genetics in Medicine, Heidi L. Rehm, Director of the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine at Partners Healthcare Personalized Medicine and Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, calls for the sharing of variant interpretations to advance medicine and improve patient care.

On Aug. 8, the Biotechnology Institute (BTI), a Consortium member, will be co-hosting a one-day symposium with colleagues from the University of Tokyo.

The University of Minnesota has announced it is renaming two health-focused interdisciplinary centers, including Consortium member the Center for Spirituality & Healing (CSH), in honor of Twin Cities inventor and entrepreneur Earl E. Bakken. Bakken is the co-founder of Medtronic, is an alumnus of the U, and was an early mentor for CSH director Mary Jo Kreitzer.

The Washington Post reports that scientists in Alberta have "used commercially available genetic material to piece together the extinct horsepox virus, a cousin of the smallpox virus that killed as many as a billion human beings before being eradicated." While the lead researcher's efforts are "aimed at developing vaccines and cancer treatments," his achievement led the former head of the Centers fo

In February, 2016, a 26-year-old American woman underwent the nation’s first uterus transplant. While that procedure was ultimately unsuccessful because of a post-operation infection, a Swedish team has conducted a 9-patient trial resulting in 7 pregnancies and 5 deliveries since 2013.

A team of scientists led by Jakub Tolar, director of Consortium member the Stem Cell Institute, believes they've discovered a new therapy to help patients suffering from a devastating skin disease.

A Texas bill has been signed into law allowing "clinics and companies. . . to offer people unproven stem cell interventions without the testing and approval required under federal law," according to Science Magazine.

Jessica J. Hellmann, PhD, Director of Consortium member Institute on the Environment (IonE) took part in a Minnesota Public Radio roundtable discussion last Friday.