RNA editing tool can take some of the risk out of gene therapy

Risk management: Making gene therapy safer and more effective
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.07.032

The ability to correct disease-causing genetic mistakes using genome editors holds great promise in medicine, but it is not without risk. When this type of “genetic surgery” is performed on DNA, for instance, there is always the danger of leaving permanent genetic scars that may even be heritable.

To alleviate this risk, researchers have experimented with gene editing processes on messenger RNA (mRNA), a central link between DNA and proteins that doesn’t carry the same risks because it doesn’t involve permanent changes to the DNA. But existing RNA editing tools have proven either too cumbersome to use or too toxic to human cells.

Yale researchers have developed a new—and safe—family of RNA-editing tools th...

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Engineers send a wireless curveball to deliver massive amounts of data

Researchers send a wireless curveball to deliver massive amounts of data
From left, researchers Haoze Chen, Yasaman Ghasempour, and Atsutse Kludze, have developed a system to curve ultrahigh frequency transmissions through a complex and dynamic environment. Credit: Aaron Nathans/Princeton University

High frequency radio waves can wirelessly carry the vast amount of data demanded by emerging technology like virtual reality, but as engineers push into the upper reaches of the radio spectrum, they are hitting walls. Literally.

Ultrahigh frequency bandwidths are easily blocked by objects, so users can lose transmissions walking between rooms or even passing a bookcase.

Now, researchers at Princeton Engineering have developed a machine-learning system that could allow ultrahigh frequency transmissions to dodge those obstacles...

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Strange spotted rock on Mars could reveal signs of ancient life

The original, untreated sample Heinz picked up on his Sedona hike, with spots similar to spots on the Mars Sapphire Canyon rock. Credit: Nicholas Heinz

Learning how to study the leopard-like spots found on both terrestrial and Martian rocks can prepare scientists for when the real samples arrive from space. A curious red Martian rock nicknamed Sapphire Canyon has scientists excited, as its spotted appearance hints at possible organic origins. On Earth, researchers tested a powerful laser technique, O-PTIR, on a similar rock found by chance in Arizona, proving it can rapidly and precisely reveal a material’s chemical makeup...

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COVID infection ages blood vessels, especially in women, research reveals

blood vessel
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A COVID infection, particularly in women, may lead to blood vessels aging around five years, according to research published in the European Heart Journal.

Blood vessels gradually become stiffer with age, but the new study suggests that COVID could accelerate this process. Researchers say this is important since people with stiffer blood vessels face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack.

The study was led by Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Université Paris Cité, France. She said, “Since the pandemic, we have learned that many people who have had COVID are left with symptoms that can last for months or even years. However, we are still learning what’s happening in the body to create these symptoms.

“We k...

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