Medical researchers advance microbiome and CRISPR therapies

Researchers have reported significant progress in two distinct areas of medical biotechnology. In a phase 1 clinical trial, a new therapy called SER-155, developed by Seres Therapeutics in collaboration with City of Hope and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, demonstrated success in reducing bloodstream infections. The therapy delivers 16 specific beneficial bacteria to restore the microbiome in patients undergoing donor stem cell transplants for blood cancers.

Separately, a UCLA-led team has developed a method to advance an experimental CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing approach for sickle cell disease. This method aims to correct the specific mutation in a patient’s own blood-forming stem cells. Preclinical studies showed the process could be manufactured at scale, with edited cells producing less sickle hemoglobin in vitro and maintaining gene correction after transplantation in mice.