Jan 19, 2018

Doctors to use gene-editing tool to combat cancer

Multiple Myeloma cancer. Section View Of The Bone Marrow. BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania will soon utilize the gene-editing tool CRISPR to try to combat cancer, per the MIT Tech Review.

Why it matters: The trial combines gene-editing and immunotherapy, two promising areas of medical research. There is a lot of anticipation about human trials involving CRISPR but there have been delays.

The details: The study will reportedly involve 18 patients with multiple myeloma, sarcoma, and melanoma cancers. The researchers plan to modify the patient's immune cells to make them better at finding and attacking the cancer. By modifying the cells outside of the body, and then infusing them back into the patient's blood, the researchers hope to avoid some of CRISPR's potential side-effects. It is still unclear when the trial will start.

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Dave Lawler
16 mins ago - World

The 53 countries supporting China's crackdown on Hong Kong

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Rolex/Pool/Getty Images

China's foreign ministry and state media have declared victory after 53 countries joined a statement at the UN Human Rights Council supporting Beijing's new national security law for Hong Kong — compared to 27 who criticized the law.

The big picture: The list of 53 countries was not initially published along with the statement, but has been obtained by Axios. It is made up primarily of autocratic states, including North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Zimbabwe.

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Ben Geman
29 mins ago - Energy & Environment

CO2 emissions may have peaked, but that's not enough

Reproduced from DNV GL; Chart: Axios Visuals

More analysts are making the case that COVID-19 could be an inflection point for oil use and carbon emissions, but it's hardly one that puts the world on a sustainable ecological path.

Driving the news: The risk advisory firm DNV GL, citing the pandemic's long-term effects on energy consumption, projects in a new analysis that global CO2 emissions "most likely" peaked in 2019.

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Axios
1 hour ago - Economy & Business

U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs in June

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals

The U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs last month, while the unemployment rate dropped to 11.1% from 13.3% in May, according to government data released Thursday.

The state of play: While the labor market showed more signs of recovery when the government’s survey period ended in early June, the lag means that more recent developments, like the surge in coronavirus cases and resultant closures in some states, aren't captured in this data.

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