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Lee TL, Sawai T. Navigating equity in global access to genome therapy expanding access to potentially transformative therapies and benefiting those in need requires global policy changes. Front Genet 2024; 15:1381172. [PMID: 38638119 PMCID: PMC11024294 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1381172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In December 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration and the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency granted the first regulatory approval for genome therapy for sickle cell disease. This approval brings hope to those suffering from this debilitating genetic disease. However, several barriers may hinder global patient access, including high treatment costs, obtaining informed consent for minors, inadequate public health infrastructure, and insufficient regulatory oversight. These barriers reflect the structural inequalities inherent in global health governance, where patient access often depends on social and institutional arrangements. This article addresses concerns around informed consent, treatment costs, and patient access, and proposes corresponding policy reforms. We argue that these discussions should be framed within a broader global context that considers social and institutional structures, global research priorities, and a commitment to health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Ling Lee
- Graduate Institute of Health and Biotechnology Law, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsutomu Sawai
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Rós FA, Couto SCF, Milhomens J, Ovider I, Maio KT, Jennifer V, Ramos RN, Picanço-Castro V, Kashima S, Calado RT, Barros LRC, Rocha V. A systematic review of clinical trials for gene therapies for β-hemoglobinopathy around the world. Cytotherapy 2023; 25:1300-1306. [PMID: 37318395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Amidst the success of cell therapy for the treatment of onco-hematological diseases, the first recently Food and Drug Administration-approved gene therapy product for patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) indicates the feasibility of gene therapy as curative for genetic hematologic disorders. This work analyzed the current-world scenario of clinical trials involving gene therapy for β-hemoglobinopathies. METHODS Eighteen trials for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and 24 for patients with TDT were analyzed. RESULTS Most are phase 1 and 2 trials, funded by the industry and are currently recruiting volunteers. Treatment strategies for both diseases are fetal hemoglobin induction (52.4%); addition of wild-type or therapeutic β-globin gene (38.1%) and correction of mutations (9,5%). Gene editing (52.4%) and gene addition (40.5%) are the two most used techniques. The United States and France are the countries with the greatest number of clinical trials centers for SCD, with 83.1% and 4.2%, respectively. The United States (41.1%), China (26%) and Italy (6.8%) lead TDT trials centers. CONCLUSIONS Geographic trial concentration indicates the high costs of this technology, logistical issues and social challenges that need to be overcome for gene therapy to reach low- and middle-income countries where SCD and TDT are prevalent and where they most impact the patient's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Augusto Rós
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Postgraduate program in Medical Science, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Samuel Campanelli Freitas Couto
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Fundação Pró-Sangue-Hemocentro de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jonathan Milhomens
- Center for Cell-Based Therapy, Regional Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ian Ovider
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Postgraduate program in Medical Science, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karina Tozatto Maio
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Viviane Jennifer
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Postgraduate program in Medical Science, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Nalio Ramos
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto D'Or de Ensino e Pesquisa, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Virginia Picanço-Castro
- Center for Cell-Based Therapy, Regional Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Simone Kashima
- Center for Cell-Based Therapy, Regional Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo T Calado
- Center for Cell-Based Therapy, Regional Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Luciana Rodrigues Carvalho Barros
- Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanderson Rocha
- Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and Directed Therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM-31), Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Fundação Pró-Sangue-Hemocentro de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Churchill Hospital, Department of Hematology, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Cabral BP, Braga LAM, Syed-Abdul S, Mota FB. Future of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Cancer Care: A Global Cross-Sectional Survey of Researchers. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:3432-3446. [PMID: 36975473 PMCID: PMC10047823 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30030260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer significantly contributes to global mortality, with 9.3 million annual deaths. To alleviate this burden, the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) applications has been proposed in various domains of oncology. However, the potential applications of AI and the barriers to its widespread adoption remain unclear. This study aimed to address this gap by conducting a cross-sectional, global, web-based survey of over 1000 AI and cancer researchers. The results indicated that most respondents believed AI would positively impact cancer grading and classification, follow-up services, and diagnostic accuracy. Despite these benefits, several limitations were identified, including difficulties incorporating AI into clinical practice and the lack of standardization in cancer health data. These limitations pose significant challenges, particularly regarding testing, validation, certification, and auditing AI algorithms and systems. The results of this study provide valuable insights for informed decision-making for stakeholders involved in AI and cancer research and development, including individual researchers and research funding agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luiza Amara Maciel Braga
- Laboratory of Cellular Communication, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Shabbir Syed-Abdul
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- School of Gerontology and Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.S.-A.); (F.B.M.)
| | - Fabio Batista Mota
- Laboratory of Cellular Communication, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
- Correspondence: (S.S.-A.); (F.B.M.)
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Bhattacharya S, Satpati P. Insights into the Mechanism of CRISPR/Cas9-Based Genome Editing from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:1817-1837. [PMID: 36687047 PMCID: PMC9850488 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a popular genome-editing tool with immense therapeutic potential. It is a simple two-component system (Cas9 protein and RNA) that recognizes the DNA sequence on the basis of RNA:DNA complementarity, and the Cas9 protein catalyzes the double-stranded break in the DNA. In the past decade, near-atomic resolution structures at various stages of the CRISPR/Cas9 DNA editing pathway have been reported along with numerous experimental and computational studies. Such studies have boosted knowledge of the genome-editing mechanism. Despite such advancements, the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in therapeutics is still limited, primarily due to off-target effects. Several studies aim at engineering high-fidelity Cas9 to minimize the off-target effects. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations have been an excellent complement to the experimental studies for investigating the mechanism of CRISPR/Cas9 editing in terms of structure, thermodynamics, and kinetics. MD-based studies have uncovered several important molecular aspects of Cas9, such as nucleotide binding, catalytic mechanism, and off-target effects. In this Review, the contribution of MD simulation to understand the CRISPR/Cas9 mechanism has been discussed, preceded by an overview of the history, mechanism, and structural aspects of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These studies are important for the rational design of highly specific Cas9 and will also be extremely promising for achieving more accurate genome editing in the future.
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Amorim M, Silva S, Machado H, Teles EL, Baptista MJ, Maia T, Nwebonyi N, de Freitas C. Benefits and Risks of Sharing Genomic Data for Research: Comparing the Views of Rare Disease Patients, Informal Carers and Healthcare Professionals. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19148788. [PMID: 35886636 PMCID: PMC9319916 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Assessing public and patients’ expectations and concerns about genomic data sharing is essential to promote adequate data governance and engagement in rare diseases genomics research. This cross-sectional study compared the views of 159 rare disease patients, 478 informal carers and 63 healthcare professionals in Northern Portugal about the benefits and risks of sharing genomic data for research, and its associated factors. The three participant groups expressed significantly different views. The majority of patients (84.3%) and informal carers (87.4%) selected the discovery of a cure for untreatable diseases as the most important benefit. In contrast, most healthcare professionals revealed a preference for the development of new drugs and treatments (71.4%), which was the second most selected benefit by carers (48.3%), especially by the more educated (OR (95% CI): 1.58 (1.07–2.34)). Lack of security and control over information access and the extraction of information exceeding research objectives were the two most often selected risks by patients (72.6% and 50.3%, respectively) and carers (60.0% and 60.6%, respectively). Conversely, professionals were concerned with genomic data being used to discriminate citizens (68.3%), followed by the extraction of information exceeding research objectives (54.0%). The latter risk was more frequently expressed by more educated carers (OR (95% CI): 1.60 (1.06–2.41)) and less by those with blue-collar (OR (95% CI): 0.44 (0.25–0.77) and other occupations (OR (95% CI): 0.44 (0.26–0.74)). Developing communication strategies and consent approaches tailored to participants’ expectations and needs can benefit the inclusiveness of genomics research that is key for patient-centred care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Amorim
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (M.A.); (T.M.); (N.N.)
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Silva
- Centro em Rede de Investigação em Antropologia, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
| | - Helena Machado
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
| | - Elisa Leão Teles
- Centro de Referência de Doenças Hereditárias do Metabolismo, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Maria João Baptista
- Centro de Referência de Cardiopatias Congénitas, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal;
- Departamento de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia e Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago Maia
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (M.A.); (T.M.); (N.N.)
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ngozi Nwebonyi
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (M.A.); (T.M.); (N.N.)
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cláudia de Freitas
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), 4050-600 Porto, Portugal; (M.A.); (T.M.); (N.N.)
- EPIUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública, Universidade do Porto, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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