Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/C17FU4Sriuj/ Baylor College of Medicine molecular biologists have discovered a novel way to effectively control new genes inserted into patients’ chromosomes as part of cutting edge gene therapy.  Since conventional agents used to control gene expression are substances foreign to the human body, a patient’s immune system will rapidly remove them.  The Baylor researchers have instead inserted a known genetic stop sign, a polyA, that is poly-adenosine sequence.  This signal naturally occurs at the end of any given gene, but artificially inserting it at the beginning of a gene stops that gene from turning on protein production.  To control the on-off function, the investigators bind a polyA neutralizing molecule to the antibiotic tetracycline.  The amount of required protein produced can be regulated by administering more or less of the tetracycline combo.  Very clever. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01989-0 #genetherapy #polyA #tetracycline