Articles by Maggie Chen

Immune cell dysfunction could explain severe RSV in children

In some kids, an RSV infection is mild, while others are hospitalized. Natural killer cells might be the reason why.

A vaginal swab shows vaginal epithelial cells along with bacteria, indicating bacterial vaginosis.

| 3 min read

Fatty acids restore normalcy to the vaginal microbiome

Doctors have been treating bacterial vaginosis with the same antibiotic for decades. This fatty acid could change that.

A human ear against a backdrop of blonde hair

| 4 min read

CRISPR strategy could restore delayed-onset hearing loss

Previous genome editing techniques only work when delivered early in life. This approach could help preserve hearing that is lost later on.

A scientist at Entact Bio works in the laboratory.

| 5 min read

Targeting disease proteins with molecular matchmakers

Many diseases cause proteins to go haywire. Scientists are now developing drug molecules to change that.

An illustration of a DNA double helix with a part of the helix colored red

Science Milestone: The evolution of gene therapy

Gene therapy has a complicated history, marked by many ups and downs and crafted by ever-advancing technologies.

Hepatitis B virus is shown in orange against a blue background.

| 6 min read

Recombinant polyclonal antibodies for viral diseases

Viral diseases like hepatitis don’t have many successful treatments available, so scientists are engineering antibodies to try and change that.

A microscope image shows HIV in red budding from an immune cell in blue.

| 6 min read

An mRNA twist to the HIV vaccine problem

For decades, researchers have tried to craft a successful vaccine for HIV. mRNA vaccines may offer the answer.

Articles

An image showing the cross-section histology of the human small intestine.

| 3 min read

A vitamin-sized device samples the gut microbiome

Scientists created a pill that, when swallowed, collects snapshots of the gastrointestinal microbiome, revealing striking differences along the GI tract.

An illustration of tweezers removing a piece of a DNA molecule

byMaggie ChenandDrug Discovery News

Science Milestone: The creation of CRISPR

Scientists harnessed the prokaryotic immune system to develop a groundbreaking gene editing technology that improves human health.

Computerized, multi-coloured image of DNA and its epigenetic modifications.

Pulling down answers to biological mysteries with chromatin immunoprecipitation

Through many innovations over the past 40 years, ChIP rapidly evolved to become a powerful tool for understanding the epigenome.

Milestone: Pulling down answers to biological mysteries with ChIP

Through many innovations over the past 40 years, ChIP rapidly evolved to become a powerful tool for understanding the epigenome.

Milestone: Single-cell sequencing ushers in a new age of biological research

Following innovations in amplification and scaling over the past 30 years, single cell sequencing technologies have permeated all corners of biomedical research, providing cellular insights into diseases such as heart failure or the immune response during COVID-19 infection.

Mutations that are structural variants, or that are located in non-coding regions of the genome, are often difficult to detect.

| 5 min read

A new long-read approach solves an old genetic mystery

Researchers pioneered a new strategy for diagnosing puzzling genetic diseases, expanding scientists’ capability to study their causes and pathophysiology.