Spine-on-a-chip [Related?]
Spine-on-a-chip is an organ-chip or micro physiological system which relies on tiny embedded tubes in a hand held With Spine-on-a-chip designed for researchers and big pharma companies, we aim to provide accurate and trustworthy predictive data to revolutionize therapeutics for the country’s largest untreated epidemic: back pain. We believe addressing the back pain epidemic through therapeutics enabled by our data and services is crucial for increasing the quality of life for millions"
https://oconnell.berkeley.edu/soft-tissue-mechanics/
Jonathan McKinley (Lean Transfer alum, 3rd yr Phd student in Berkeley BioMechanics Lab)
https://oconnell.berkeley.edu/people/jonathan-mckinley/
"Beyond CCR5’s presumptive role in HIV entry, “Is there more to it than that?” asks Adashi. As yet, beyond its role as a chemokine receptor, there is an incomplete understanding of the actions of CCR5 variants in humans and how their functions may differ in different genetic backgrounds (Box 1). It is unknown whether the CRISPR edits in the three girls could produce an altered, CCR5 protein that could cause harm."
"Xenotransplantation has seen significant advances in recent years with the advent of CRISPR–Cas9 genome editing, which made it easier to create pig organs that are less likely to be attacked by human immune systems. The latest transplant, performed at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), used organs from pigs with ten genetic modifications."
"Still, the details of the New York patient’s medical journey could help researchers who are developing gene therapies to confer the HIV-resistant mutation to patients, she and other researchers said."
This woman received cord blood from a donor which had CCR5 mutation conferring HIV immunity. CCR5 is the same gene that was edited on Lulu and Nana embyros.
In other words, all the pieces are there. We are a couple of years away from having a pill that can cure HIV! And some more years before we start seeing all sorts of pills to edit the genome in myriad ways.