What I am excited about is that we are now moving to a time where some disease X (where X is any genetic disease,possibly would not even need to be genetic) with some mutation Y could be cured with
CRISPR or other technology without a need to understand whatever X might be. Gene editing becomes a perfect black box in which all the complex
details surrounding the pathology of a disease are no longer relevant.
After over a century of Alzheimer's research, with two pathological accumulations (that were noted a century ago), we are still mired in considerable confusion.
The main thrust of the AD research has focused on amyloid, though it is very unclear whether clearing amyloid after disease progression will actually be helpful.
If we allow endless biochemical research to continue it might be centuries before cures emerge. Biology is hopelessly convoluted. Gene editing allows us to
side step all of this.
The report I cited above has advanced the field into what they call base editing (instead of gene editing). CRISPR technology is now roaring ahead.
It will be very interesting to see at what point pharmaceutical companies give up on the traditional research approach.
Billions of dollars have already been invested in AD research. Some of the pharmas are threatening (again) to leave dementia research because of the
near 0 success that has been achieved over the last few decades. With CRISPR / base editing one hammer will drive every nail, and the payback
will simply startling. The pharmaceutical industry soon will not have to receive charitable contributions to actually make money.
This one might be worth a group buy: probably would not cost 10 gabillion € per kilogram.
A family member with severe dementia tried the Cervarix vaccine with the MPL A.
https://www.scienced...30115143852.htm
http://www.pnas.org/...110/5/1941.full
http://ca.gsk.com/me...80/cervarix.pdf
Here is some recent research.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/27079716
Edited by mag1, 23 April 2016 - 07:43 PM.