Posts Tagged: reduces

Researchers developed a gene-editing technology that reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol

In a trial run by Verve Therapeutics, a Cambridge–based biotech company, researchers discovered that a single infusion of a gene-editing treatment called VERVE-101 was able to reduce cholesterol levels in patients. This treatment was tested in individuals with hereditary conditions that made them susceptible to developing clogged arteries and heart attacks. Scientists were able to use CRISPR editing techniques to tweak liver gene cells. The researchers “turned off” a cholesterol-raising gene called PCSK9, which is found in the liver, in order to lower LDL-C — sometimes called “bad” cholesterol — which causes plaque to build up in arteries in the first place.

PCSK9 was lowered by as much as 84 percent in the cohorts that received higher infusion rates of the treatment. At those higher treatment doses, Verve scientists said that the reduction of those LDL-C-related proteins lasted 2.5 years in previous studies on primates.

VERVE-101 explained visual.
Verve Therapeutics

From a clinical standpoint, this gene editing therapy has the potential to disrupt the current standard treatment for high cholesterol. The current go-to’s include prescription statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, but they require strict adherence and can have bad side effects like muscle pain and memory loss.

CRISPR, while seemingly miraculous, is a long way from replacing daily medications though. According to Nature, two of the 10 participants in the study suffered from a “cardiovascular event” that coincided with the infusion. Verve says one was not related to the treatment at all and the second was “potentially related to treatment due to proximity to dosing.” The use of a gene-editing technology will always carry some risk because the edits could occur elsewhere in the genome.

Before a single infusion therapy for high cholesterol can reach consumers, the FDA mandates that the treatment will need to be studied for up to 15 years. Verve recently received FDA clearance for an Investigational New Drug Application for VERVE-101, meaning that the company can begin to conduct trials in the US. The current trials in New Zealand and the United Kingdom will look for willing clinical trial participants to expand the study.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-developed-a-gene-editing-technology-that-reduces-bad-cholesterol-170040293.html?src=rss

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Jury reduces Tesla’s $137 million racism lawsuit penalty to $3.2 million

Back in 2021, a San Francisco court ordered Tesla to pay Owen Diaz, a former Black contract worker who accused the company of enabling a racist workplace, $ 137 million in damages. It was one of the highest amounts awarded to an individual suing on the basis of discrimination, but the appeals that followed had lowered it significantly. While US District Judge William Orrick affirmed the jury's original verdict, he found the original damages awarded to Diaz "excessive" and lowered the total to $ 15 million. Now, a San Francisco federal jury has reduced the amount even further and has ordered Tesla to pay Diaz $ 3.2 million only. 

The former elevator operator at Tesla’s Fremont assembly plant rejected the $ 15 million award Orrick had proposed and instead sought for a retrial. In the latest hearing, Diaz again recounted his experiences working for Tesla, where he said he and his fellow Black workers were subjected to racial slurs. He also said that he was made to feel unsafe at work and that other workers left drawings of swastika and racist graffiti, such as Inki the Caveman, in his workspace and the company restrooms. 

Diaz's lawyers urged the jury to penalize Tesla, a company currently worth over $ 600 billion, an amount that will get its attention. But Tesla's lawyer Alex Spiro reportedly argued that Diaz should only be awarded half his salary. He apparently characterized Diaz as a liar in court, who misstated how long he worked at the automaker and who exaggerated his testimonies and the abuse he suffered to gain a bigger payout. 

We may not be seeing the end to this case, though. According to the Los Angeles Times, Diaz's lawyer believes the jury decided on awarding him only $ 3 million in punitive damages and $ 175,000 in non-economic damages because he was wrongly attacked by the defense. He said Tesla's strategy to "minimize and sanitize" worked and that he has already filed a request for a new trial due to "misconduct."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jury-reduces-teslas-137-million-racism-lawsuit-penalty-to-32-million-060414307.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Disney reduces the chances of CG hair disasters

Movie studios often want computer-generated hair to have a specific effect, whether it's a seductive toss or a careless flick that knocks something over. But there's a problem: most rough-cut simulations don't realistically simulate hair, leading to…
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Pebble’s feeling the heat, reduces Time and Time Round prices permanently

Pebble has reduced the price of the Pebble Time and Pebble Time Round models, taking $ 50 off each one, or 30-percent in other countries. Is Pebble just feeling generous, or is it feeling the heat from growing competition?

The post Pebble’s feeling the heat, reduces Time and Time Round prices permanently appeared first on Digital Trends.

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