A baby, named KJ, has become the first patient to be treated with a personalized CRISPR therapy to address a severe metabolic disorder. We discuss this story—one of the biggest science/medical stories from ASGCT 2025—and talk about the family and scientists at its center. In other news, laboratory-evolved CRISPR-associated bacterial transposases are being used to insert healthy genes into human cells. On the business front, 10x Genomics settles with Bruker and Vizgen while Illumina sues Element Biosciences for patent infringement. Also, trouble for Prime Medicine as the company pivots its pipeline and downsizes, and after months of speculation about its fate, 23andMe is acquired by Regeneron.

Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Alex Philippidis, Fay Lin, PhD, and Uduak Thomas for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base

ASGCT 2025: World’s First Patient Treated with Personalized CRISPR Therapy

By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN, May 15, 2025

EvoCAST Harnesses CRISPR-Linked Bacterial Transposases to Insert Genes Into Human Cells

GEN, May 18, 2025

eePASSIGE Engineers Gene-Sized Edits in Human Cells

GEN, June 10, 2024

Illumina Sues Element Biosciences, Alleging Infringement of Flow Cell, Imaging Patents

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, May 18, 2025

10x Settles Bruker, Vizgen Patent Lawsuits

By Julianna LeMieux, PhD, and Alex Philippidis, GEN, May 18, 2025

Prime Medicine Chops 25% of Workforce, Pivots Pipeline as CEO Quits

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, May 19, 2025

Regeneron to Acquire 23andMe with Winning $256M Bid

GEN, May 19, 2025

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The exact origins of SARS-CoV-2 are still something of a mystery, but new research may bring scientists one step closer to an explanation for how the virus reached Wuhan. Also in the episode, we dive into GEN’s coverage of the annual AACR meeting including how the community is navigating massive research budget cuts. Then we discuss a potential colorectal cancer therapy using CRISPR-edited tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and a method for delivering protein therapies and gene editors using engineered vesicles. Lastly, in business news, Recursion rethinks its pipeline, the FDA gives Abeona’s gene therapy a chance, and Bristol Myers Squibb execs open up on artificial intelligence.

Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Alex Philippidis, Julianna LeMieux, PhD, and Uduak Thomas for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

AACR 2025: A Video Update from Chicago

By Julianna LeMieux, PhD and Damian Doherty, GEN, April 29, 2025

Hope and Headwinds at AACR in Chicago

By Damian Doherty, GEN, April 29, 2025

Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Science in AACR Speech

By Julianna LeMieux, PhD, GEN, April 29, 2025

CRISPR-Edited TILs Fight Advanced Colorectal Cancer in Patients

By GEN, May 4, 2025

Engineered Extracellular Vesicles Could Deliver Gene Editors, Therapeutic Proteins to Cells

By GEN, April 30, 2025

SARS-CoV-2 Likely Spread Through Wildlife Trade, Not Bat Migration

By GEN, May 7, 2025

Chatting with Author David Quammen about SARS-CoV-2 Will Leave You “Breathless”

Originally aired: November 16, 2022

Recursion Halts Four Pipeline Programs, Sharpening Cancer, Rare Disease Focus

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, May 5, 2025

StockWatch: Second Time’s the Charm for Abeona’s Gene Therapy

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, May 4, 2025

Predict First: BMS Executives Discuss Company’s AI Approach

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, March 26, 2025

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The seismic changes made by the current administration in the United States continue to impact the scientific community. The business news segment of this week’s episode covers the effects of job cuts on biotech, Roche’s manufacturing and R&D plans amid tariff threats, and shares an update on Eli Lilly’s diabetes pill. Also, in honor of DNA Day, we reminisce about how far the field has come since the discovery of the structure of DNA and the completion of the Human Genome Project. We also talk about today’s DNA-related advances that use machine learning to design tailored Cas9 proteins and multiple sequencing technologies to study mutation rates in four generations of the same family.

Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Alex Philippidis, Fay Lin, PhD, and Uduak Thomas for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

After Job Cuts, “We’re Entering a Very New Territory for Biotech.

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 17, 2025

Roche Commits $50B to U.S. Manufacturing, R&D as Tariffs Loom

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 22, 2025

StockWatch: Investors Hungry for Lilly after Diabetes Pill Aces Phase III Trial

By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 20, 2025

Machine Learning Engineers Bespoke Cas9 Enzymes for Gene Editing

By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN, April 22, 2025

Multi-Platform Sequencing Study of Four Generations Sheds Light on Mutation Rates

GEN, April 23, 2025

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.