MIT boffins aim to build injectable mini-organs that can fill in for a damaged liver
MIT researchers develop injectable liver cell clusters from stem cells that perform metabolic functions for eight weeks in mice livers. The mini-organs aim to support patients awaiting transplants or suffering acute failure, bypassing donor shortages.
The Register • Mar 6
SYNTHETIC POSTHUMAN
Prime to test FDA flexibility with 2-patient gene editing submission
Prime Medicine plans an IND submission for its gene-editing therapy against rare chronic granulomatous disease using data from just two patients, challenging FDA norms for rare disease approvals. The move comes amid economic reprioritization and intensified regulatory scrutiny of accelerated pathways. Success could streamline synthetic biology therapies into markets faster.
BioPharma Dive • Mar 4
REGULATION SYNTHETIC POSTHUMAN
STAT+: Prime Medicine to seek approval for gene-editing treatment after two-patient trial
Prime Medicine files for FDA approval of its prime editing-based therapy for chronic granulomatous disease after positive results in two patients. The move tests regulators' commitment to fast-track gene-editing treatments despite recent rejections of similar applications. Approval would mark a milestone for precise DNA editing technologies entering clinical use.
STAT News • Mar 4
REGULATION SYNTHETIC POSTHUMAN
Tech giants see a cure for cancer in AI. But Eli Lilly’s CEO finds it ‘not particularly good’ at solving biology or chemistry problems
Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks states AI underperforms in complex biology and chemistry for drug development, countering Big Tech claims of imminent cancer cures. Stresses requirements for superior data and expertise integration. Underscores persistent bottlenecks in AI-driven synthetic biology pipelines.
Fortune • Mar 3
CORPORATE AI SYNTHETIC
Watch a computer powered by human brain cells play Doom
Cortical Labs has trained its CL-1 biocomputing chip, composed of 200,000 lab-grown human neurons, to play the video game Doom. Visual data from the screen is translated into electrical stimulation patterns, and the living neurons respond with their own signals that control in-game actions. The demonstration builds on the company's 2022 work showing similar cultures playing Pong, representing a functional interface between living neural tissue and digital computing systems.
The Verge • Mar 1
TECH AI SYNTHETIC
Cutting-edge Chinese gene-editing technique raises prospect of new autism treatments
Chinese researchers have successfully used an advanced gene-editing tool to correct a DNA mutation responsible for cognitive and behavioral problems in laboratory mice. The South China Morning Post reports that mice engineered with the mutation showed significant behavioral changes after receiving injections with edited genes, suggesting potential pathways for treating autism spectrum disorders. The research represents a significant advance in precision genetic medicine.
South China Morning Post • Feb 28
CORPORATE SYNTHETIC POSTHUMAN
Flagship-backed Generate Biomedicines eyes $2.2 billion valuation in US IPO
Generate Biomedicines, founded in 2018 by Flagship Pioneering (the venture firm behind Moderna), announced plans to raise up to $425 million in a Nasdaq IPO that would value the company at $2.17 billion. The company uses AI to replace traditional trial-and-error drug discovery by generating novel protein-based therapeutics computationally. Its lead candidate, GB-0895 for severe asthma, is currently in late-stage trials. Menlo Ventures, which cited Aurora Therapeutics' bespoke CRISPR work as validation of the approach, has invested $16 million in AI-driven genetic medicine startups.
Reuters • Feb 24
CORPORATE FINANCE AI
The FDA creates a quicker path for gene therapies
The FDA announced draft guidance for a "plausible mechanism pathway" that would allow gene-editing treatments for ultra-rare diseases to proceed without traditional clinical trials when biological understanding is strong. The policy builds on the successful treatment of "Baby KJ," an infant who received a bespoke CRISPR therapy for a fatal metabolic disorder. The framework specifically targets diseases too rare to attract pharmaceutical investment, potentially opening treatment paths for thousands of conditions affecting 30 million Americans.
NPR • Feb 24
CORPORATE PRIVACY BIOMETRICS
AI tools can design genomes. Will they upend how life evolves?
Researchers are now using AI-powered generative biology to design biological components, artificial genes, and even entire synthetic viruses from scratch. Last year, scientists produced AI-designed artificial genes expressible in mammalian cells and created the first fully AI-generated synthetic virus. This "generative biology" approach turbocharges synthetic biology by enabling the creation of novel organisms without natural templates.
Nature • Feb 23
TECH AI SYNTHETIC
Have we leapt into commercial genetic testing without understanding it?
Daphne O. Martschenko and Sam Trejo's new book "What We Inherit" warns that polygenic embryo selection has entered clinical practice with minimal regulatory oversight while offering limited predictive value. The technology uses statistical associations between gene variants and traits to rank embryos, but accuracy varies dramatically by genetic ancestry — with Pacific Islander Americans seeing systematically worse predictions than those of European descent. If access remains concentrated among wealthy populations, embryo selection could encode class and racial disparities directly into the human genome, compounding across generations.
Ars Technica • Feb 22
INEQUALITY REGULATION SYNTHETIC