UK First To Approve CRISPR Treatment For Diseases: What You Need To Know – The Medical Futurist Newsletter

Finally it happens, a CRISPR-based therapy got regulatory approval. Last week's lull in compelling healthcare articles left us wondering: what can we expect as Thanksgiving approaches? I am sure everyone is already focusing on the year-end race in work. Still, the approval of the first CRISPR therapy captured the attention of our followers and made significant ripples in the medical community. Speaking of CRISPR: we're currently working on a comprehensive analysis of ongoing clinical trials employing CRISPR. Stay tuned for an in-depth exploration of the future implications, potential, and risks of using this technology in modern medicine. I hope you will find the newsletter useful! Best regards, Berci Bertalan Meskó, PhD The Medical Futurist [U.K. APPROVES CRISPR-BASED THERAPY, COVERING TWO BLOOD DISORDERS]( --------------------------------------------------------------- "Casgevy is made by collecting a patient’s stem cells from the bone marrow. In a lab, CRISPR is used to edit a gene in those cells to produce high levels of fetal hemoglobin. Before these modified stem cells are administered, a conditioning regimen is required to kill the remaining cells in a patient that are making faulty hemoglobin. Infused into the patient, the modified stem cells make their way to the bone marrow. Patients may need to remain hospitalized for at least a month while those cells take up residence in the bone marrow and start producing red blood cells that incorporate fetal hemoglobin." [READ MORE]( WHY DO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT? Finally, a CRISPR-based therapy got regulatory approval! The therapy, known as exagamglogene autotemcel, or exa-cel, will be commercialized by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics under the brand name Casgevy. [HOW CAN AI HELP REDUCE THE COSTS OF HEALTHCARE?]( --------------------------------------------------------------- "According to a 2023 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, greater adoption of AI — at least, the type currently on the market — could lead to 5–10% savings in U.S. healthcare spending. Streamlining medical visits, Lowering administrative costs, Aiding diagnosis and treatment, Improving writing and recordkeeping, Creating symptom checkers, and Monitoring global health are obvious use cases. [READ MORE]( WHY DO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT? Savings are predicted to be somewhere between $200 billion and $360 billion annually. [TECH GIANTS IN HEALTHCARE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- We are keeping an eye on the healthcare ventures of the biggest tech companies for years and it is getting more and more exciting. The fourth edition of the book arrives after a major update: last year's generative AI revolution brought interesting challenges and opportunities, and it is fascinating to see how prepared - or unprepared - the tech titans were. [GET IT HERE]( [APPLE IN HEALTHCARE: HOW IPHONE AND APPLE WATCH ARE TAKING ON HEALTH]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Heavy focus on customer wearables, their ecosystem and the seamless user experience it can provide and cautious moves outside their comfort zone, carefully considering their image and reputation and avoiding risking it. In this article, we scrutinized Apple's healthcare efforts. The Cupertino team has ambitious plans but plays it safe. [READ MORE]( WHY IT'S IMPORTANT? The Apple Watch, holding a significant share in the smartwatch market, has advanced features for health monitoring like ECG, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen levels, with studies confirming its efficacy in medical scenarios. [THE 2023 DIGITAL HEALTH BAROMETER]( --------------------------------------------------------------- I have quite the backlog when it comes to reports to read but I'm catching up. This one was released by The Economist and Roche Diagnostics and is titled "Advancing the Frontier of Health and Technology Integration: The 2023 Digital Health Barometer". They asked experts from ten countries such as Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US. [READ MORE]( WHY IT'S IMPORTANT? The report describes how digital health is governed in these countries, how user-friendly digital health technologies are, and how those are being reimbursed. A useful and quick read. [SCIENTISTS 3D-PRINT HAIR FOLLICLES IN LAB-GROWN SKIN]( --------------------------------------------------------------- "This is the first time researchers have used the technology to generate hair follicles, which play an important role in skin healing and function. The finding, published in the journal “Science Advances,” has potential applications in regenerative medicine and drug testing, though engineering skin grafts that grow hair are still several years away." [READ MORE]( WHY DO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT? When we look back at the evolution of 3D bioprinting, we will look at these announcements as important milestones. [5 WAYS MEDICAL VIRTUAL REALITY IS ALREADY CHANGING HEALTHCARE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- VR has the potential to add significant value to all facets of healthcare, from patient experience to medical training. Although the field is relatively new, there are increasingly great examples of VR having a positive effect on patients’ lives and physicians’ work. Here are five use cases where medical VR helps transform patient lives and how doctors work. [READ MORE]( WHY DO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT? Despite slow adoption, increasing instances demonstrate VR’s growing integration in healthcare settings. MORE NEWS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE --------------------------------------------------------------- BOOT SEQUENCE – [India startup launches digital health check kiosk]( CONSTANT VIGILENCE! – [How open-source drug discovery could help us in the next pandemic]( PATIENT SPECIFIC – [How digital twins may enable personalised health treatment]( FAST FORWARD – [The future of cardiology: 5 potentially game-changing AI studies from AHA 2023]( [color-forwardtofriend-48.png](mailto:berci@medicalfuturist.com) [color-facebook-48.png]( [color-youtube-48.png]( [color-linkedin-48.png]( [color-twitter-48.png]( [color-instagram-48.png]( © The Medical Futurist 2023 This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Medical Futurist · Budapest · Budapest, Pest 1118 · Hungary