Archive for the ‘Crispr’ Category

In recent years, the development of CRISPR technologies and gene-editing scissors in particular have taken the world by storm. Indeed, scientists have learned how to harness these clever natural systems in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, among other areas.

New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that we are not the first to find a way to exploit the benefits of the CRISPR technique. Apparently, primitive bacterial parasites have been doing so for millions of years.

The researchers studied the least described and most enigmatic of the six CRISPR-Cas systems found in nature - Type IV CRISPR-Cas. Here, they uncovered characteristics that differ entirely from those in other systems.

Redefining CRISPR"Until recently, CRISPR-Cas was believed to be a defense system used by bacteria to protect themselves against invading parasites such as viruses, much like our very own immune system protects us. However, it appears that CRISPR is a tool that can be used for different purposes by diverse biological entities," according to 28-year-old Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, a PhD at UCPH's Department of Biology who led the research.

One of these biological entities are plasmids - small DNA molecules that often behave like parasites and, like viruses, require a host bacterium to survive.

"Here we found evidence that certain plasmids use type IV CRISPR-Cas systems to fight other plasmids competing over the same bacterial host. This is remarkable because, in doing so, plasmids have managed to turn the system around. Instead of protecting bacteria from their parasites, CRISPR is exploited to perform another task," says Pinilla-Redondo, adding:

"This is similar to how some birds compete for the best nesting site in a tree, or how hermit crabs fight for ownership of a shell."

"A humbling realization"The discovery challenges the notion that CRISPR-Cas systems have only one purpose in nature, that is, acting as immune systems in bacteria. According to Rafael Pinilla-Redondo, the discovery gives some additional perspective:

"We humans have only recently begun to exploit nature's CRISPR-Cas systems, but as it turns out, we are not the first. These 'primitive parasites' have been using them for millions of years, long before humans. It is quite a humbling realization"

What can we use it for?The researchers speculate that these systems could be used to combat one of the greatest threats to humanity: multi-drug resistant bacteria. Hundreds of thousands of people die from MDR bacteria every year.

Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics by acquiring genes that make them resistant to antibiotic treatment. Very frequently, this occurs when plasmids transport antibiotic resistant genes from one bacterium to another.

"As this system appears to have evolved to specifically attack plasmids, it is plausible that we could repurpose it to fight plasmids carrying antibiotic resistant genes. This could be achieved because it is possible to program CRISPR to target what one wants" says Pinilla-Redondo.

Research paper

Related LinksUniversity Of CopenhagenLands Beyond Beyond - extra solar planets - news and scienceLife Beyond Earth

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Humans are not the first to repurpose CRISPR - Space Daily

What happened

March wasn't kind to any asset class because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the month took a particularly heavy toll on risky clinical-stage biotech stocks. Shares ofAdaptimmune Therapeutics(NASDAQ:ADAP), Atreca (NASDAQ:BCEL), and CRISPR Therapeutics(NASDAQ:CRSP), for instance, each fell by more than 20% last month,according to data fromS&P Global Market Intelligence.

Why did clinical-stage biotech stocks tank last month? Companies like Adaptimmune, Atreca, and even CRISPR are heavily dependent on secondary stock offerings to raise capital for their costly clinical activities. What's more, these types of companies are essentially a science experiment, which entails a whole lot of risk.

Image source: Getty Images.

So with the market in meltdown mode over the COVID-19 pandemic, investors clearly lost their appetite for risk in general, especially among companies that have to dilute shareholders on a regular basis to generate operating capital. The good news is that Adaptimmune, Atreca, and CRISPR are all now trading at extremely attractive valuations after last month's bloodbath.

Adaptimmune is an anti-cancer cell therapy company that sports multiple high-end partnerships. Moreover, the company is less than two years away from potentially bringing its first product to market --an experimentalsynovial sarcoma treatment known asADP-A2M4. With Adaptimmune's market cap falling to a mere $342 million after last month's emotionally charged sell-off, its stock comes across as dirt cheap right now. The company, after all, is targeting several high-value indications in a market -- oncology -- that's one of the fastest growing in all of heatlhcare.

Atreca, for its part, is a developmental biotech focused ontherapies derived from the immune responses of cancer patients. The company sports several A-list investors such as the Baker Bros. and theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The main downside with this company is that it lacks a late-stage product candidate, meaning it will probably remain a cash-burning clinical-stage company for several more years.

That said, its novel immunotherapy platform might also attract a deep-pocketed partner or perhaps a tender offer in the not-so-distant future. As such, Atreca might also be a worthwhile pickup for risk-tolerant biotech investors on this hefty pullback.

CRISPR is a pioneer in the relatively young field ofCRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. The company is currently evaluating its first product candidate, CTX001, in a pair of early stage trials for the rare blood disorders sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. If these ongoing trials support further development for CTX001, CRISPR could very well end up fetching a noteworthy buyout offer.

So while CRISPR is a risky biotech stock to be sure, it does offer a healthy upside potential for aggressive investors. Stated simply, CRISPR's March swoon may be an outstanding buying opportunity for the risk-tolerant crowd.

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Why Adaptimmune Therapeutics, Atreca, and CRISPR Therapeutics All Tanked In March - Motley Fool

The drug giant GlaxoSmithKline said Monday it will collaborate with Vir Biotechnology on experimental treatments and potentially, vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

As part of the deal, GlaxoSmithKline will invest $250 million in the San Francisco startup at a 10% premium to the companys closing share price on March 27.

The agreement includes Virs lead drugs against the novel coronavirus, which are monoclonal antibodies that could enter efficacy studies in humans in three to five months. The deal includes an early effort to use CRISPR, the gene-editing technology, to identify medicines that might help the immune system fight off viruses. The collaboration also encompasses a long-term project to develop a vaccine that might prevent infection not only with the virus, called SARS-CoV-2, but related viruses that could cause problems in the future.

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Virs unique antibody platform has precedented success in identifying and developing antibodies as treatments for multiple pathogens, Hal Barron, GlaxoSmithKlines chief scientific officer, said in a statement.

George Scangos, Virs chief executive officer, said the antibodies were isolated from a patient who previously had severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, a disease caused by another coronavirus that sickened thousands in 2003 and 2004.

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Antibodies that are isolated, lets say years after an infection often have properties that you dont find in antibodies isolated immediately after, Scangos said. When SARS-CoV-2 started spreading, Sangos said the company had a running start because we already had those SARS antibodies.

Virs drugs in development are both based on a single antibody from this patient, and both have been modified so that they will last longer in the body. The company has altered one of the drugs in a bid to create long-term immunity, much like a vaccine. That particular technology has never been tested in humans before.

Antibody drugs could be used in three possible ways: to prevent people at high risk, such as healthcare workers, from ever becoming infected; to prevent those infected from developing severe respiratory problems that can make Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, deadly; and to treat people who are already in respiratory distress. Vir expects to start trials for all three uses this summer.

Other companies are working on similar treatments, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which has said it will begin testing cocktails of its antibody drugs this summer. Abcellera and Eli Lilly have said they could start tests of antibody drugs around the same time. Brii Biosciences is also developing antibody drugs against the virus, as is a team from pharmaceutical giant Amgen and Adaptive Biosciences.

Vir and GlaxoSmithKlines collaboration will also lead to longer-term research, including projects using CRISPR, which both companies are already using in their work. The tool based on enzymes that bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses can be used to edit the genes in human cells in culture. Scientists can then see whether genetic changes render the cells more resistant to viruses. In a few cases, Scangos said, that approach has helped identify existing experimental drug molecules that might help the immune system fight off viruses.

The two companies will also work together to test whether Virs antibodies can be used to identify the weak spots of the virus, which might also be shared by other coronaviruses. If thats the case, Scangos said it could help researchers develop vaccines that can target not only SARS-CoV-2, but future viral threats. That work, however, is at a very early stage.

Correction: a previous version of this story misstated the stock premium GSK paid.

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GlaxoSmithKline and Vir collaborate to take on Covid-19 - STAT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA), a leading genome editing company focused on developing curative therapeutics using CRISPR/Cas9 technology bothin vivoandex vivo,announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Investigational New Drug (IND) application submitted by its collaborator, Novartis, for a CRISPR/Cas9-based engineered cell therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).

This Phase 1/2 clinical trial will begin investigating OTQ923 in adult patients with severe complications of SCD. OTQ923 is a SCD treatment based on genome editing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), using CRISPR/Cas9 RNA guides identified through Intellias cell therapy research collaboration with Novartis. This therapeutic approach results in highly targeted editing of the HSCs DNA to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF) expression. The edited cells are returned to the patient, where the expression of HbF is expected to reduce the deleterious effects of sickle hemoglobin (HbS). Novartis IND application triggered a milestone payment to Intellia, and the company is eligible to receive additional downstream success-based milestones and royalties.

We are pleased to have worked alongside our colleagues at Novartis to achieve this important milestone, which moves this CRISPR/Cas9-based engineered cell therapy into the clinic, with the potential to significantly impact the lives of patients who suffer from sickle cell disease, said Intellia Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Andrew Schiermeier, Ph.D. Our research with Novartis over the past five years has laid the groundwork for the development of next-generation CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapies for patients. Intellia looks forward to Novartis efforts to advance other targets that were selected to develop as additional CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy products.

About Intellias Engineered Cell Therapy Programs

From December 2014 through December 2019, Intellia and Novartis jointly researched CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapies in various cell types, including certain stem cells and T cells. In parallel with its ex vivo collaboration with Novartis, Intellia has been advancing its wholly owned ex vivo pipeline of immuno-oncology and autoimmune cell therapies. Intellias proprietary ex vivo programs include its acute myeloid leukemia (AML) program utilizing transgenic T cell receptors (TCRs) against Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1), a target identified in collaboration with IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (OSR). Intellia plans to submit an IND application for NTLA-5001, the companys development candidate for the treatment of AML, in the first half of 2021. View Intellias programs pipeline for more information.

About Intellia Therapeutics

Intellia Therapeuticsis a leading genome editing company focused on developing proprietary, curative therapeutics using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Intellia believes the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has the potential to transform medicine by permanently editing disease-associated genes in the human body with a single treatment course, and through improved cell therapies that can treat cancer and immunological diseases, or can replace patients diseased cells. The combination of deep scientific, technical and clinical development experience, along with its leading intellectual property portfolio, puts Intellia in a unique position to unlock broad therapeutic applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology and create a new class of therapeutic products. Learn more aboutIntellia Therapeuticsand CRISPR/Cas9 atintelliatx.comand follow us on Twitter @intelliatweets.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements of Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (Intellia or the Company) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding Intellias beliefs and expectations regarding its: planned submission of an investigational new drug (IND) application or similar clinical trial application for NTLA-5001, its first T cell receptor (TCR)-directed engineered cell therapy development candidate for its acute myeloid leukemia (AML) program in the first half of 2021; plans to advance and complete preclinical studies for its other in vivo and ex vivo programs; advancement and expansion of its CRISPR/Cas9 technology to develop human therapeutic products, as well as its ability to maintain and expand its related intellectual property portfolio; ability to demonstrate its platforms modularity and replicate or apply results achieved in preclinical studies in any future studies, including human clinical trials; ability to develop other in vivo or ex vivo cell therapeutics of all types, and those targeting WT1 in AML in particular, using CRISPR/Cas9 technology; ability to optimize the impact of its collaborations on its development programs, including but not limited to its collaborations with Novartis and OSR; statements regarding the timing of regulatory filings regarding its development programs; use of capital, expenses, future accumulated deficit and other 2019 financial results or in the future; and ability to fund operations through the end of 2021.

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Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to Intellias ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position; risks related to Intellias relationship with third parties, including its licensors and licensees; risks related to the ability of its licensors to protect and maintain their intellectual property position; uncertainties related to the initiation and conduct of studies and other development requirements for its product candidates; the risk that any one or more of Intellias product candidates will not be successfully developed and commercialized; the risk that the results of preclinical studies or clinical studies will not be predictive of future results in connection with future studies; and the risk that Intellias collaborations with Novartis or its other ex vivo collaborations will not continue or will not be successful. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Intellias actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled Risk Factors in Intellias most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Intellias other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Intellia undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

Intellia Contacts:

Media:Jennifer Mound SmoterSenior Vice President External Affairs & Communications +1 857-706-1071 jenn.smoter@intelliatx.com

Lynnea OlivarezDirectorExternal Affairs & Communications+1 956-330-1917lynnea.olivarez@intelliatx.com

Investors:Lina LiAssociate DirectorInvestor Relations+1 857-706-1612lina.li@intelliatx.com

Originally posted here:
FDA Accepts Investigational New Drug Application for CRISPR/Cas9-Based Sickle Cell Disease Therapeutic Candidate Developed Under Collaboration with...

But things get even trickier when one talks about editing the DNA in sperm or egg cells, which would then affect multiple generations to come. Expert Fyodor Urnov says in the film hes dead set against such genetic modifications. We might think its okay or even admirable to edit the genome of a terminally ill cancer patient so they did not feel pain, he notes. But what about editing that same gene to create a generation of invulnerable super soldiers? Everyone seems to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable in a different place, and Human Nature is refreshingly open to all voices in the debate.

Human Nature is divided up into chapters, walking the audience through the science and its implications through interviews with researchers, journalists and ethicists. Bolt often interviews them sitting at their dining room tables, talking passionately about their work as if they were excitedly chatting with a friend.

A couple of the interviewees are connected with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the leaders in gene therapy. Rodolphe Barrangou is a former Ph.D. student at the UW, and you might have seen him tooling around Madison in his car with CRISPR license plates.

Also appearing in the film is UW bioethicist and Star Trek fan Alta Charo, who takes an even-handed approach to the debate, noting that the technology is merely a tool, neither inherently good or evil. What you do with the power determines if the result is something we applaud or something we deplore, she said. But its not the tool that determines the endpoint. Its the user.

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Movie review: 'Human Nature' is a crisp and engaging look at DNA therapy - Madison.com

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes market size will reach xx million US$ by 2025, from xx million US$ in 2018, at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period. In this study, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019-2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for CRISPR and Cas Genes .

This industry study presents the global CRISPR and Cas Genes market size, historical breakdown data (2014-2019) and forecast (2019-2025). The Private Plane production, revenue and market share by manufacturers, key regions and type; The consumption of CRISPR and Cas Genes market in volume terms are also provided for major countries (or regions), and for each application and product at the global level.

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Global CRISPR and Cas Genes market report coverage:

The CRISPR and Cas Genes market report covers extensive analysis of the market scope, structure, potential, fluctuations, and financial impacts. The report also enfolds the precise evaluation of market size, share, product & sales volume, revenue, and growth rate. It also includes authentic and trustworthy estimations considering these terms.

The CRISPR and Cas Genes market has been reporting substantial growth rates with considerable CAGR for the last couple of decades. According to the report, the market is expected to grow more vigorously during the forecast period and it can also influence the global economic structure with a higher revenue share. The market also holds the potential to impact its peers and parent market as the growth rate of the market is being accelerated by increasing disposable incomes, growing product demand, changing consumption technologies, innovative products, and raw material affluence.

The following manufacturers are covered in this CRISPR and Cas Genes market report:

Companies Mentioned in the Report

The report also profiles the major players in the market in terms of various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Key players operating in the global CRISPR and Cas genes market include Synthego, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., GenScript, Addgene, Merck KGaA (Sigma-Aldrich), Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., OriGene Technologies, Inc., New England Biolabs, Dharmacon, Cellecta, Inc., Agilent Technologies, and Applied StemCell Inc. These players are adopting organic and in-organic growth strategies to expand product offerings, strengthen geographical reach, increase customer base, and market share.

The global CRISPR and Cas genes market has been segmented as follows:

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by Product

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by Application

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by End-user

Global CRISPR and Cas Genes Market, by Region

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The study objectives are CRISPR and Cas Genes Market Report:

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of CRISPR and Cas Genes Market:

History Year: 2014 2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year: 2019 2025

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This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million USD) and volume (K Units). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of CRISPR and Cas Genes market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.

For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2018 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.

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CRISPR and Cas Genes Market Information, Figures and Analytical Insights 2019 2025 - Daily Science

It was supposed to be an exciting time of next-gen science, where CRISPR gene editing was being used in the first series of human trials in the hope this tech could help cure a range of diseases.

But one of its proponents, CRISPR Therapeutics, has, alongside a growing number of biopharmas, admitted the spreading COVID-19 pandemic is starting to see it be adversely affected.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday, the biotech said: We are conducting a number of clinical trials for product candidates in the fields of severe hemoglobinopathies and immuno-oncology in geographies which are affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

We believe that the coronavirus pandemic has had, and will likely continue to have, an impact on various aspects of our clinical trials. For example, with respect to our CTX001 clinical trials for severe hemoglobinopathies (specifically, transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia and severe sickle cell disease), since[intensive care unit] beds and related healthcare resources are anticipated to become significantly constrained in light of the coronavirus pandemic, no additional patients are currently scheduled to begin dosing in either study at this time.

CTX001 is an investigational CRISPR gene-edited therapy for patients suffering from beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease in which a patient's hematopoietic stem cells are engineered to produce high levels of fetal hemoglobin in red blood cells. This is currently in a long-term follow-up trial after posting some encouraging, though early, results in several patients late last year.

Looking at its cancer trials, it also added that investigators will likely not want to expose cancer patients to COVID-19 since the dosing of patients is conducted within an in-patient setting, which could also hit it tests.

RELATED: Pandemic sees one-quarter of investigators halting trial enrollment: poll

Its leading immuno-oncology cell therapy programs, CTX110 and CTX120, are using an allogenic approach to tumor targets. CTX110 targets CD19, an antigen expressed in various B-cell malignancies, while CTX120 targets BCMA, an antigen expressed in multiple myeloma.

Its third candidate, CTX130, is focused on solid tumorsand targets CD70, an antigen expressed on both hematologic cancers, including certain lymphomas, as well as solid tumors including renal cell carcinoma.

CTX110 started an early safety trial last summer, and the biotech said in its financial report back in February that it was still enrolling patients to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX120. Meanwhile, CTX130 is yet to enter the clinic.

The biotech has already closed its offices and asked that most of its staffers work remotely. It said it has restricted on-site staff to only those personnel and contractors who must perform essential activities that must be completed on-site and limited the number of staff in any given research and development laboratory.

But this comes with its own issues: Our increased reliance on personnel working from home may negatively impact productivity, or disrupt, delay, or otherwise adversely impact our business. In addition, this could increase our cyber security risk, create data accessibility concerns, and make us more susceptible to communication disruptions, any of which could adversely impact our business operations or delay necessary interactions with local and federal regulators, ethics committees, manufacturing sites, research or clinical trial sites and other important agencies and contractors.

It also said that, given that its labs are not easily accessible and talking to regulators is getting tough, there could be a delay for the timely completion of preclinical activities, including IND-enabling studies as well as its ability to select future development candidates and initiation of additional clinical trials for otherdevelopment programs.

Finances for the biotech may be hit, too.The trading prices for our common shares and other biopharmaceutical companies have been highly volatile as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the company said. As a result, we may face difficulties raising capital through sales of our common shares or such sales may be on unfavorable terms.

The biotech has seen its shares yo-yo over the past month as COVID-19 ramped updown from more than $53 a share at the start of Marchto less than $43 just two weeks laterand ended the month at around $42.

In short, CRISPR is braced for the worst but does not know how deeply this could cut into its trial and business. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business, our clinical trials, our research programs, healthcare systems or the global economy. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

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CRISPR Therapeutics braces for 'severe impact' from COVID-19 crisis - FierceBiotech

CRISPR-Cas9, which is short for clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9. The technique is faster, cheaper, more accurate, and more efficient than other existing genome editing methods.

For the CRISPR-Cas9 system to work, a bacterial defense protein got Cas9 seeks out an adjacent protospacer motif (PAM) that is present in the viral DNA yet not in the bacterial DNA. CRISPR-Cas9 has been harnessed for editing the human genome because such PAM sequences are also quite common in our DNA; however, genes that are not near a PAM cannot be targeted.

To conquer this problem, a team led by Benjamin P. Kleinstiver, a biochemist at MGHs Center for Genomic Medicine, engineered variations of a Cas9 protein that dont require a particular PAM to bind and cut DNA. The two new Cas9 variations, named SpG and SpRY, allow editing of DNA sequences at efficiencies not achievable with conventional CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes.

As engineered proteins target independently, they enable targeting of previously inaccessible regions of the genome.

Benjamin P. Kleinstiver, a biochemist at MGHs Center for Genomic Medicine, said,By nearly completely relaxing the requirement for the enzymes to recognize a PAM, many genome editing applications are now possible. And since almost the entire genome is targetable, one of the most exciting implications is that that the entire genome is druggable from a DNA-editing perspective.

Scientists are further planning to comprehend the function of these proteins. They also want to explore their unique capabilities for a variety of different applications.

Lead author Russell T. Walton, also of MGHs Center for Genomic Medicine, said,We have demonstrated that these new enzymes will allow researchers to generate biologically and clinically relevant genetic modifications that were previously unfeasible.

Read more here:
Scientists expanded the Capabilities of CRISPR gene editing technique - Tech Explorist

TOKYO & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Modalis Therapeutics Corporation (Modalis) today announced that the company has entered into a license agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc., under which Modalis has obtained a license to certain intellectual property that is controlled by Editas Medicine. Modalis is utilizing its proprietary epigenetic gene modulation technology, CRISPR-GNDM (Guide Nucleotide Directed Modulation), to treat patients with serious genetic disorders. Additional details including financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Our goal is to create CRISPR based gene therapies for genetic disorders, most of which fall into the orphan disease category. There should be no disease that is ignored because of its small patient population, and our mission to develop disease modifying treatments for these diseases reflects our belief that Every Life Deserves Attention. We are proud to be the pioneer in CRISPR based gene modulation therapy, said Haru Morita, Chief Executive Officer of Modalis.

We are pleased to establish this license agreement with Modalis Therapeutics as their mission is aligned with our mission to make transformative medicines for people living with serious diseases of unmet clinical need. CRISPR technology has many uses and applications, and we are pleased to include Modalis in our expanding portfolio of licensees so the greatest number of patients may benefit in the future from transformative medicines, said Cynthia Collins, president and chief executive officer, Editas Medicine.

About Modalis

Modalis Therapeutics is developing precision genetic medicines through epigenetic gene modulation. Founded by Osamu Nureki and leading scientists in CRISPR gene editing from University of Tokyo, Modalis is pursuing therapies for orphan genetic diseases using its proprietary CRISPR-GNDM technology which enables the locus specific modulation of gene expression or histone modification without the need for double-stranded DNA cleavage, gene editing or base editing. Modalis is focusing initially on genetic disorders caused by loss of gene regulation resulting in excess or insufficient protein production which includes more than 660 genes that are currently estimated to cause human disease due to haploinsufficiency. Headquartered in Tokyo with laboratories and facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company is backed by leading Japanese investors including Fast Track Initiative, SBI Investment, UTokyo-IPC, SMBC Venture Capital, and Mizuho Capital. For additional information, visit http://www.modalistx.com.

Original post:
Modalis Obtains Access to Foundational CRISPR IP - Business Wire

Documentary "Human Nature" examines how gene editing can help - and hurt - humanity.

If youre familiar with the Replicates from Blade Runner, the velociraptors from Jurassic Park or the genetic engineering so chillingly laid out in Aldous Huxleys novel Brave New World, youll be fascinated by how much science fiction has become science fact in Adam Bolts Human Nature. And its all due to CRISPR (pronounced crisper), a gene-altering technology that not only could facilitate designer babies, but possibly play a central role in putting the clamps on another acronym, COVID-19.

That timeliness is obviously on the side of Human Nature, a snazzy-looking documentary using sparkling graphics and top geneticists, journalists and one very adorable sickle-cell anemic to spell out a complicated subject in compelling, easy-to-grasp terms. But that same timeliness also works against it, given how now is not an advantageous moment for the films commercial aspects amid a landscape of shuttered theaters and a frightened populace whod like to avoid anything to do with medicine and science as sources of entertainment.

Yet, that double-edged sword fits snuggly in the wheelhouse of CRISPR (short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), a microorganism able to locate and repair defective DNA, as well as fend off invading viruses like COVID-19 by acting as a defense shield mimicking the offenders own DNA. But like the Internet, a revolutionary breakthrough for which CRISPR is often compared, theres a serious downside involving the morality of whether humans should have the right to, as the film calls it, play God. Namely, should parents be allowed to treat an embryo the same way theyd approach ordering a pizza? Well have the regular with blue eyes, blonde hair and an IQ of Einstein. Oh, and could you throw in some immense athletic ability, too?

Clearly, CRISPR has the potential to put us at the mercy of the type of mad scientists weve become accustomed to in just about every Bond film ever made. One geneticist, whose very name, Jennifer Doudna, includes DNA, admits having had a nightmare in which she comes face-to-face with Adolf Hitler! Are we willing to toy with the very real prospect of creating a master race?

Thats just one of the troubling questions Bolt confronts you with while weighing the pros and cons of a new frontier brimming in possibilities and danger. Personally, I come down on the side of CRISPRs benefits, particularly after meeting David Sanchez, a teen with sickle cell thats spent about half of his young life in hospitals receiving precious blood transfusions. Hes smart, personable and amazingly brave, so much so, you cant help but be all in when CRISPR offers him a chance at a more normal life. Yet, hes just as quick to recall to how hes learned to embrace -- even appreciate -- his illness because its made him a better, more resourceful kid, insights he would not have acquired had CRISPR been available when he was in utero. See? Hes torn, too.

Do we embrace a discovery wielding the promise of curing and preventing cancers and birth defects, or shun it for its ability to rob us of our unique individuality? Its a compelling argument I frankly wish Bolt had expanded more upon in his movies all-too-brief 90 minutes. But whats here is more than enough to spark a multitude of kitchen-table conversations about where we should set the limits on science, and more importantly, who should be making those decisions.

Given the disarray COVID-19 has put the world in, now probably isnt the time for us to evaluate, especially when CRISPR could well determine our fate by ridding our planet of a crippling plague. But what about after? Will, as Trump is fond to say, the cure be worse than the disease? Its a question for which Human Nature holds no answers, only utopian and despotic possibilities well be forced to uneasily choose between when and if the time comes.

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Movie review: Doc Human Nature strikes a nerve in the age of coronavirus - The Patriot Ledger

We hate to say this but, we told you so. On February 27th we published an article with the title Recession is Imminent: We Need A Travel Ban NOW and predicted a US recession when the S&P 500 Index was trading at the 3150 level. We also told you to short the market and buy long-term Treasury bonds. Our article also called for a total international travel ban. While we were warning you, President Trump minimized the threat and failed to act promptly. As a result of his inaction, we will now experience a deeper recession (see why hell is coming).

In these volatile markets we scrutinize hedge fund filings to get a reading on which direction each stock might be going. The latest 13F reporting period has come and gone, and Insider Monkey is again at the forefront when it comes to making use of this gold mine of data. Insider Monkey finished processing 835 13F filings submitted by hedge funds and prominent investors. These filings show these funds' portfolio positions as of December 31st, 2019. In this article we are going to take a look at smart money sentiment towards CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP).

Is CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) the right investment to pursue these days? The best stock pickers are becoming hopeful. The number of long hedge fund bets improved by 13 recently. Our calculations also showed that CRSP isn't among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q4 rankings and see the video at the end of this article for Q3 rankings).

In the financial world there are a large number of tools investors have at their disposal to grade stocks. A pair of the most under-the-radar tools are hedge fund and insider trading indicators. We have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the best fund managers can outperform the broader indices by a solid amount. Insider Monkey's monthly stock picks returned 72.9% since March 2017 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 41 percentage points. Our short strategy outperformed the S&P 500 short ETFs by 20 percentage points annually (see the details here). That's why we believe hedge fund sentiment is a useful indicator that investors should pay attention to.

Samuel Isaly of OrbiMed Advisors

Samuel Isaly Orbimed Advisors

We leave no stone unturned when looking for the next great investment idea. For example we recently identified a stock that trades 25% below the net cash on its balance sheet. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences, and go through short-term trade recommendations likethis one. We even check out the recommendations of services with hard to believe track records. Our best call in 2020 was shorting the market when S&P 500 was trading at 3150 after realizing the coronavirus pandemic's significance before most investors. Now let's take a gander at the new hedge fund action encompassing CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP).

At Q4's end, a total of 30 of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held long positions in this stock, a change of 76% from the third quarter of 2019. By comparison, 11 hedge funds held shares or bullish call options in CRSP a year ago. With hedgies' capital changing hands, there exists an "upper tier" of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were upping their stakes significantly (or already accumulated large positions).

Is CRSP A Good Stock To Buy?

Story continues

Of the funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Cormorant Asset Management, managed by Bihua Chen, holds the number one position in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP). Cormorant Asset Management has a $60.9 million position in the stock, comprising 2.4% of its 13F portfolio. Coming in second is OrbiMed Advisors, managed by Samuel Isaly, which holds a $46.7 million position; the fund has 0.7% of its 13F portfolio invested in the stock. Some other hedge funds and institutional investors that hold long positions contain Charles Clough's Clough Capital Partners, Renaissance Technologies and Farallon Capital. In terms of the portfolio weights assigned to each position Cormorant Asset Management allocated the biggest weight to CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP), around 2.43% of its 13F portfolio. Clough Capital Partners is also relatively very bullish on the stock, earmarking 2.31 percent of its 13F equity portfolio to CRSP.

As aggregate interest increased, some big names have jumped into CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) headfirst. Citadel Investment Group, managed by Ken Griffin, established the largest position in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP). Citadel Investment Group had $12.6 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke and John Campbell's Arrowstreet Capital also initiated a $6.3 million position during the quarter. The other funds with new positions in the stock are Benjamin A. Smith's Laurion Capital Management, Principal Global Investors's Columbus Circle Investors, and David Harding's Winton Capital Management.

Let's check out hedge fund activity in other stocks - not necessarily in the same industry as CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) but similarly valued. These stocks are Lithia Motors Inc (NYSE:LAD), Cimpress NV (NASDAQ:CMPR), Equitrans Midstream Corporation (NYSE:ETRN), and Graham Holdings Co (NYSE:GHC). This group of stocks' market values are similar to CRSP's market value.

[table] Ticker, No of HFs with positions, Total Value of HF Positions (x1000), Change in HF Position LAD,29,661944,3 CMPR,18,707978,6 ETRN,15,379764,-2 GHC,18,510146,0 Average,20,564958,1.75 [/table]

View table hereif you experience formatting issues.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 20 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $565 million. That figure was $298 million in CRSP's case. Lithia Motors Inc (NYSE:LAD) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Equitrans Midstream Corporation (NYSE:ETRN) is the least popular one with only 15 bullish hedge fund positions. Compared to these stocks CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) is more popular among hedge funds. Our calculations showed that top 20 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 41.3% in 2019 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 10.1 percentage points. These stocks lost 17.4% in 2020 through March 25th and still beat the market by 5.5 percentage points. Unfortunately CRSP wasn't nearly as popular as these 20 stocks and hedge funds that were betting on CRSP were disappointed as the stock returned -31.4% during the first two and a half months of 2020 (through March 25th) and underperformed the market. If you are interested in investing in large cap stocks with huge upside potential, you should check out the top 20 most popular stocks among hedge funds as most of these stocks already outperformed the market in Q1. Video: Click the image to watch our video about the top 5 most popular hedge fund stocks.

5 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds

Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.

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Hedge Funds Have Never Been This Bullish On CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) - Yahoo Finance

Oppenheimer analyst Silvan Tuerkcan maintained a Buy rating on Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) yesterday and set a price target of $80.00. The companys shares closed last Tuesday at $42.41.

According to TipRanks.com, Tuerkcan is a 4-star analyst with an average return of 15.6% and a 37.5% success rate. Tuerkcan covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Intellia Therapeutics, and Seattle Genetics.

The word on The Street in general, suggests a Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating for Crispr Therapeutics AG with a $71.68 average price target.

See todays analyst top recommended stocks >>

Crispr Therapeutics AGs market cap is currently $2.69B and has a P/E ratio of 42.70. The company has a Price to Book ratio of 2.71.

TipRanks has tracked 36,000 company insiders and found that a few of them are better than others when it comes to timing their transactions. See which 3 stocks are most likely to make moves following their insider activities.

CRISPR Therapeutics AG engages in the development and commercialization of therapies derived from genome-editing technology. Its proprietary platform CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics allows for precise and directed changes to genomic DNA. The company was founded by Rodger Novak, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Shaun Patrick Foy, Matthew Porteus, Daniel Anderson, Chad Cowan and Craig Mellow in 2014 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

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Oppenheimer Maintains Their Buy Rating on Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) - Smarter Analyst

Canaccord Genuity analyst Arlinda Lee reiterated a Buy rating on Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) today and set a price target of $80.00. The companys shares closed last Tuesday at $42.41.

According to TipRanks.com, Lee is a 3-star analyst with an average return of 0.1% and a 43.0% success rate. Lee covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as Turning Point Therapeutics, Black Diamond Therapeutics, and Karyopharm Therapeutics.

Crispr Therapeutics AG has an analyst consensus of Moderate Buy, with a price target consensus of $71.68, representing a 62.2% upside. In a report released yesterday, Oppenheimer also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $80.00 price target.

See todays analyst top recommended stocks >>

Based on Crispr Therapeutics AGs latest earnings release for the quarter ending December 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of $77.02 million and net profit of $30.54 million. In comparison, last year the company earned revenue of $115K and had a GAAP net loss of $47.59 million.

TipRanks has tracked 36,000 company insiders and found that a few of them are better than others when it comes to timing their transactions. See which 3 stocks are most likely to make moves following their insider activities.

CRISPR Therapeutics AG engages in the development and commercialization of therapies derived from genome-editing technology. Its proprietary platform CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics allows for precise and directed changes to genomic DNA. The company was founded by Rodger Novak, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Shaun Patrick Foy, Matthew Porteus, Daniel Anderson, Chad Cowan and Craig Mellow in 2014 and is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

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Crispr Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Gets a Buy Rating from Canaccord Genuity - Smarter Analyst

Investors in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (Symbol: CRSP) saw new options become available this week, for the May 8th expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the CRSP options chain for the new May 8th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.

The put contract at the $41.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.30. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $41.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $37.70 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of CRSP, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $42.60/share today.

Because the $41.00 strike represents an approximate 4% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 62%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 8.05% return on the cash commitment, or 75.33% annualized at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.

Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for CRISPR Therapeutics AG, and highlighting in green where the $41.00 strike is located relative to that history:

Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $43.00 strike price has a current bid of $3.30. If an investor was to purchase shares of CRSP stock at the current price level of $42.60/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $43.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 8.69% if the stock gets called away at the May 8th expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if CRSP shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for CRISPR Therapeutics AG, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing CRSP's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $43.00 strike highlighted in red:

Considering the fact that the $43.00 strike represents an approximate 1% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 48%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 7.75% boost of extra return to the investor, or 72.50% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.

The implied volatility in the put contract example is 141%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 135%.

Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 251 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $42.60) to be 61%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

Top YieldBoost Calls of the S&P 500

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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First Week of May 8th Options Trading For CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) - Nasdaq

As part of ongoing efforts to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19, researchers around the world are working hard to develop novel diagnostic technologies. Rapid and simple identification of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 plays a crucial role in reducing transmission of the virus, by enabling appropriate isolation measures and contact tracing to take place.The lab of Dr Changchun Liu at the University of Connecticut Health Center has recently reported progress in this area, with the development of a simple, low-cost, CRISPR-based method which can detect infectious diseases such as COVID-19.1 Technology Networks spoke to Dr Liu to learn more about the method, the advantages it offers over PCR-based methods of detection, and the next steps to be taken before a point-of-care diagnostic test using this method could become widely available.Anna MacDonald (AM): Many of the current diagnostic tests for infectious diseases such as COVID-19 are PCR-based. Why is this method currently the gold standard and what are some of the limitations associated with it?

Changchun Liu (CL): PCR/RT-PCR, particularly real-time PCR/RT-PCR, provides a highly sensitive and specific method for detection of infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19). In addition, PCR/RT-PCR-based methods can enable early diagnosis of COVID-19 because it detects nucleic acid (e.g., RNA) of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. PCR/RT-PCR-based methods are typically restricted in a centralized clinical laboratory due to the requirement for sophisticated equipment and well-trained personnel, which are not suitable for simple, rapid, point of care diagnostic applications. AM: What advantages could CRISPR-based detectionoffer? What is limiting greater use of these methods for the detection of infectious diseases so far? CL: CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection provides a highly sensitive, specific and reliable testing approach for nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics. Unlike PCR-based methods, CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection methods can work at a constant temperature (e.g. 37oC) without the need for an expensive thermal cycler (e.g. PCR machine). However, currently available CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection methods typically require: i) separate nucleic acid amplification in different reaction systems, and ii) multiple manual operations, which undoubtedly complicates the testing procedures and potentially increases the risk of carry-over contaminations due to amplification products transferring.

AM: Can you tell us more about the CRISPR-based method you have developed and give us an overview of your studys results? CL: We developed an All-In-One Dual CRISPR-Cas12a (termed "AIOD-CRISPR") assay method for rapid, ultrasensitive, specific and visual detection of nucleic acid. To improve detection sensitivity, we have proposed a dual CRISPR-Cas12a detection strategy. In addition, unlike previous CRISPR-based nucleic acid detections, all reagents for nucleic acid detection in our AIOD-CRISPR assay can be incubated in one-pot, enabling simple, rapid, sensitive and specific nucleic acid detection. Our AIOD-CRISPR assay method has successfully been utilized to detect nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) of the SARS-CoV-2 and HIV with a sensitivity of a few copies. Also, it was evaluated by detecting HIV-1 RNA extracted from human plasma samples, achieving a comparable sensitivity with real-time RT-PCR, but within a shorter time (less than 20 minutes). AM: How does AIOD-CRISPR compare to other CRISPR-based detection methods?

CL: As mentioned above, we developed a dual CRISPR-Cas12a detection strategy to improve detection sensitivity in our AIOD-CRISPR assay. In addition, unlike previously reported CRISPR-based nucleic acid detections, all reagents of our AIOD-CRISPR assay can be incubated in one-pot, eliminating need for multiple manual operations and enabling simple, rapid point of care diagnostics. In summary, our AIOD-CRISPR assay provides a simple, rapid (typically 5-20 minutes), ultrasensitive (few copies) and highly specific method for nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics at the point-of-care. AM: Why is a one-pot reaction system so important? CL: As mentioned above, previously reported CRISPR-based nucleic acid detections typically require separate nucleic acid amplification and multiple manual operations, which undoubtedly complicates the testing procedures and is not ideal for point of care diagnostics. In our AIOD-CRISPR assay, all components for isothermal amplification and CRISPR-based detection are prepared in a one-pot format, which greatly simplifies the detection procedures and eliminates the risk of carry-over contaminations. Thus, our AIOD-CRISPR assay method has a great potential for developing next-generation point-of-care molecular diagnostics. AM: What are the next steps before a point-of-care diagnostic test using this method could become widely available? CL: We are integrating our AIOD-CRISPR assay into our microfluidic diagnostic chip to develop a simple, rapid, affordable, point-of-care diagnostic platform for SARS-CoV-2 detection at home or small clinics. We have long focused on developing simple, low-cost, point-of-care diagnostic technologies for rapid detection of infectious diseases. For instance, during the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak, we developed an instrument-free point-of-care molecular diagnostic technology for Zika virus detection.2 AM: What difference could a rapid, affordable, point-of-care test such as the one you are developing make to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

CL: Rapid and early detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus plays a crucial role in facilitating early intervention and treatment (e.g. home isolation, social distancing) and preventing COVID-19 disease spread. We envision that such a simple, rapid, affordable, and point-of-care diagnostics technology can be widely used for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 at home or in small clinics, preventing or slowing the rapid spread of COVID-19. AM: Your method was used to detect SARs-CoV-2 and HIV could it be easily adapted in the future for other possible infectious disease outbreaks? CL: Yes, as a platform technology, our AIOD-CRISPR assay method can be easily adapted to detect other infectious disease in the future.

Changchun Liu, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center, was speaking to Anna MacDonald, Science Writer, Technology Networks. References:

1: Ding, X., Yin, K., Li, Z., & Liu, C. (2020). All-in-One Dual CRISPR-Cas12a (AIOD-CRISPR) Assay: A Case for Rapid, Ultrasensitive and Visual Detection of Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and HIV virus. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.19.998724

2: Song, J., Mauk, M. G., Hackett, B. A., Cherry, S., Bau, H. H., & Liu, C. (2016). Instrument-Free Point-of-Care Molecular Detection of Zika Virus. Analytical Chemistry, 88(14), 72897294. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6b01632

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A Point-of-Care CRISPR-based COVID-19 Diagnostic on the Horizon - Technology Networks

Finding good stocks in this market climate is a unique challenge. With the COVID-19 pandemic posing serious risks and offering major market opportunities, wise investors who make well-informed decisions during this time could make a fortune.

While there are plenty of promising stocks you've surely heard about before, there are also quite a few companies that haven't received the same attention. Many of these businesses have tremendous growth potential, and despite their relative obscurity, make great potential investments right now. Here are three stocks you probably haven't heard of but are worth a potential spot in your portfolio:

Image source: Getty Images.

If someone asked you to name the top gold mining companies on the market, giants like Newmontand Barrick Goldcome to mind. However, there's one lesser-known gold miner that's worth a mention.

Kinross Gold (NYSE:KGC) tends not to get that much attention, especially compared to its larger rivals. However, its stock has fared reasonably well during this coronavirus bear market, losing only a small portion of its overall value over the past month. This makes sense considering that gold prices tend to move in the opposite direction of the equities market, with investors seeking safe havens for their money when stocks start falling.

Higher gold prices mean larger profit margins for gold miners, which all gold companies can appreciate. However, Kinross has a few things going for it that make it stand apart from the crowd.

For one, Kinross is significantly cheaper than its competitors from a valuation standpoint. Gold mining companies are already fairly affordable, with both Newmont and Barrick Gold trading at 3.7 and 3.5 price-to-sales (P/S) ratios, respectively. In comparison, Kinross trades at just a 1.6 P/S ratio.

While Kinross obviously isn't as large as these two better known gold miners, it's just as efficient in terms of its operations. One of the most important metrics for gold miners is its all-in sustaining costs (AISC). This figure, measured in dollars per ounces, represents the total cost of mining an ounce of gold. Kinross had an AISC of $983 per gram for 2019, while Newmont's 2019 AISC came in at $966 and Barrick's at $894.

While Kinross's costs are a bit higher when it comes to producing gold in comparison to its rivals, it's not enough to justify a P/S ratio that's half its competitors. If gold prices stay where they are or go higher, something which is a major possibility, Kinross Gold could be a major winner in 2020.

Sangamo Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SGMO)one of the few companies in the gene-editing sector, often gets overshadowed by its larger competitors. Compared to stocks like CRISPR Therapeutics, which is significantly larger in market cap, Sangamo seems like a smaller player in this relatively young market. However, this healthcare stock has plenty of tailwinds many of its competitors don't enjoy.

For one, Sangamo has one of the most diverse pool of drug candidates in the entire gene-editing sector. The company has 16 separate projects ongoing at the moment, with 11 in preclinical development and five in early stage clinical testing. This is much more than CRISPR's nine drug candidates, with only three having begun early stage testing.Right now, some of Sangamo's most anticipated candidates are its transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia drug ST-400, a sickle cell disease treatment called BIVV003, and a hemophilia A drug called SB-525.

Given the uncertain nature of developing new drugs, especially in the cutting-edge field of gene-editing, there's always a big chance that something can go wrong, like a candidate flopping. As such, having a diverse portfolio means there's a bigger chance of hitting at least one clinical home run, which is all a small biotech stock like Sangamo needs to become a major success.

Sangamo is also remarkably well-funded, with around $385 million worth of cash or cash equivalents on its balance sheet. For 2019, the company reported a net loss of $95.2 million. If expenses stay relatively the same, that would mean Sangamo has just under four years' worth of cash to keep itself afloat, more than enough time for a candidate to enter late-stage trials.

The gene-editing company also has a number of major partnerships with big names in the pharmaceutical industry, includingBiogen, Pfizer, and Sanofi. These deals can help provide additional capital as well as help manufacture and commercialize a potential candidate once it reaches late-stage trials.

Image source: Getty Images.

Peloton Interactive (NASDAQ:PTON) might not be as obscure as the other two names on this list, but it's far from being a household name either. If you've been thinking about ordering a treadmill or stationary bike at home, you've probably seen some of their products before.

With fear of the virus and government edicts keeping people at home and out of gyms, it's not surprising to see why Peloton is expecting a surge in sales.Finding ways to exercise at home has become an issue for many folks. As such, revenue from the company's bikes and treadmills is expected to surge in the coming months.

Peloton has already seen a significant increase in revenue over the past year. According to the company's recent Q4 2019 financial results, the company reported $466.3 million in revenue, a 77% increase from the $262.9 million reported in Q4 2018. It wouldn't be surprising if this upcoming quarter is even better than expected as more people avoid gyms altogether in favor of buying their own home workout equipment.

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3 Top Stocks You've Probably Never Heard Of - The Motley Fool

Scientists at the Pennsylvania State University and Henan University in China have found a new protein marker that they say could potentially predict the progression of breast cancer or be targeted by drugs designed to treat the disease.

The protein, called PAD4, is key in the immune response against bacteria. The researchers found that its expression in cancer cells can also promote breast cancer metastasis in mice, according to a new study published in the journal Molecular Cancer Research.

PAD4 exists in abundance in neutrophils, a type of white blood cells. It mediates the formation of a loosened DNA and protein structure outside the cell called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Normally, NETs trap and help kill bacteria. Recent studies have also found that NETs play a part in promoting cancer metastasis. But little was known about whether PAD4 can trigger a similar process in breast cancer cells.

That was what the Penn State and Henan team set out to study. We were interested in learning if PAD4 expression in breast cancer cells could affect cancer biology, such as tumor growth and metastasis, Yanming Wang, the studys senior author, said in a statement.

So the team profiled gene expression in breast cancer cells from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Oncomine database. They found human breast cancer cells have higher PAD4 expression than do normal cells. In a triple-negative breast cancer cell line called 4T1, the researchers also observed even bigger PAD4 levels than what existed in other cell lines.

RELATED:Preventing breast cancer metastasis by killing tumor cells in their sleep

Additional analysis showed that the activation of PAD4 in 4T1 cells also led to the release of chromatin fibers outside to form NET-like structures. The researchers called them cancer extracellular chromatin networks (CECNs).

CECN formation is dependent on PAD4, the team found, as treating the 4T1 cells with a pan-PAD inhibitor or knocking it out prevented the release of CECNs.

Wang and colleagues further assessed the role of PAD4 on tumor growth and metastasis. In mice injected with 4T1 breast tumors, those bearing the PAD4 marker saw significantly faster tumor growth and had much more metastases in the lungs than did animals without the marker.

To further test the idea that CECNs are indeed involved in metastasis, the researchers disrupted extracellular DNA including CECN in PAD4-knockout mice that were unable to release additional CECN. Although the procedure didnt change the primary tumor, lung metastasis was significantly decreased, the team reported. Further investigation showed that PAD4 promoted tumor growth after cancer cells had reached the lungs.

RELATED:CRISPR slows the growth of triple-negative breast cancer in mice

Despite the availability of many therapies, breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the U.S. Many research groups are looking for new ways to block metastasis, which is a major cause of death.

Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research recentlyfound that blocking a protein kinase called MPS1 caused triple-negative breast cancer cells to divide so fast that they accumulated fatal errors. Researchers at the Fed Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showed that inhibiting proteins called integrins could target dormant estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells to prevent metastasis. And last year, a team at Boston Childrens Hospital used nanoparticles targeting the ICAM-1 molecule on triple-negative breast cancer cells to deliver a CRISPR system, which edited out a gene called Lipocalin 2 to slow tumor growth.

Wang believes PAD4 may offer a novel approach to tacklingbreast cancer. While further investigation is needed, it is interesting to consider the possibility that PAD4 or CECNs could potentially be used as biomarkers to predict disease progression, he explained. Furthermore, therapies to inhibit PAD4 or eliminate CECNs could be explored as a method to reduce the risk of metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

The team is now investigating the exact mechanism by which PAD4 affects CECN formation and drives tumor growth. The researchers are also studying additional cell types to better understand the prevalence of CECN formation and PAD4s role.

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The bacteria-trapping protein that may provide a new target for tracking and treating breast cancer - FierceBiotech

A new Cas13 RNA screen has been used to establish guide RNAs for the COVID-19 coronavirus and human RNA segments which could be used in vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

A novel CRISPR-based editing tool that enables researchers to target mRNA and knockout genes without altering the genome has been developed. Using the CRISPR-Cas13 enzyme, researchers have created a genetic screen for RNA, currently designed for use on humans, which they say could also be used on RNA containing viruses and bacteria.

The developers have used their parallel-screening technique to create optimal guide RNAs for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus COVID-19 which could be used for future detection and therapeutic applications. These have been made available online here.

the seed regions could be used as next-generation biosensors, able to precisely discriminate between closely related RNA species

The CRISPR RNA screening technology was developed by researchers in the lab of study senior author Dr Neville Sanjana at the New York Genome Center and at New York University, both US. The platform is optimised to run massively-parallel genetic screens at the RNA level in human cells because it is based on the CRISPR-Cas13 enzyme, which targets RNA instead of DNA. According to the researchers, it could be used to understand aspects of RNA regulation and identify the function of non-coding RNAs in humans.

The team have used the data they collected by targeting thousands of different sites in human RNA transcripts to create a machine learning-based predictive model to expedite identification of the most effective Cas13 guide RNAs. This technology is available to researchers through a website and open-source toolbox, both can predict guide RNA efficiencies for custom RNA targets and provide pre-designed guide RNAs for all human protein-coding genes.

We anticipate that RNA-targeting Cas13 enzymes will have a large impact on molecular biology and medical applications, yet little is known about guide RNA design for high targeting efficacy, said Dr Sanjana. We set about to change that through an in-depth and systematic study to develop key principles and predictive modelling for most effective guide design.

Dr Hans-Hermann Wessels and PhD student Alejandro Mndez-Mancilla, co-first authors of the study published in Nature Biotechnology, developed a suite of Cas13-based tools and conducted a transcript tiling and permutation screen in mammalian cells. In total, they gathered information for more than 24,000 RNA-targeting guides.

We tiled guide RNAs across many different transcripts, including several human genes where we could easily measure transcript knock-down via antibody staining and flow cytometry, said Dr Wessels. Along the way, we uncovered some interesting biological insights that may expand the application of RNA-targeting Cas13 enzymes. These insights included which regions of the guide RNA are important for recognition of a target RNA, calling the identified segments seed regions these are vital for designing guide RNAs with off-target activity on unintended target RNAs.

The scientists suggest that the seed regions could be used as next-generation biosensors, able to precisely discriminate between closely related RNA species.

We are particularly excited to use the optimised Cas13 screening system to target non-coding RNAs. This greatly expands the CRISPR toolbox for forward genetic and transcriptomic screens, concluded Mndez-Mancilla.

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CRISPR RNA-targeted genetic screen could be used for COVID-19 therapy - Drug Target Review

A genome editing technique based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)associated endonuclease Cas9 enables efficient modification of genes in various cell types, including neurons. However, neuronal ensembles even in the same brain region are not anatomically or functionally uniform but divide into distinct subpopulations. Such heterogeneity requires gene editing in specific neuronal populations. We developed a CRISPR-SaCas9 systembased technique, and its combined application with anterograde/retrograde AAV vectors and activity-dependent cell-labeling techniques achieved projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain. As a proof-of-principle application, we knocked down the cbp (CREB-binding protein), a sample target gene, in specific neuronal subpopulations in the medial prefrontal cortex, and demonstrated the significance of the projection- and function-specific CRISPR-SaCas9 system in revealing neuronal and circuit basis of memory. The high efficiency and specificity of our projection- and function-specific CRISPR-SaCas9 system could be widely applied in neural circuitry studies.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, so long as the resultant use is not for commercial advantage and provided the original work is properly cited.

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Development of a CRISPR-SaCas9 system for projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain - Science Advances

Some days, the miracles of biotech and gene therapy feel like Brave New World is around the corner, and other days like these very days their promise and power cant come fast enough. The cloud of viral uncertainty were currently in makes Adam Bolts science documentary Human Nature an intriguing, mind-tingling watch as it tells the underreported story of CRISPR, the microorganism molecular system discovered in the 1980s, which revealed to the scientific world that DNA the building blocks of our lives can be targeted, snipped and repaired.

Viruses can then be located and stopped, and something like sickle cell can be eradicated, but also if ones imagination is invoked, money is deployed and subjects are willing humans can be designed and cultivated like an attractive, pest-resistant crop. Bolts ethically engaging, easy-to-grasp and artfully conceived film covers a wide range of areas that stir us to think about benefits and costs.

His brainy interviewees from CRISPRs early discoverers and champions to the smiling entrepreneurs ready to help fix our aging, diseased bodies are a personality-rich bunch whose recognition of how significant this is for future generations is presented with wonder, humor and sometimes a welcome pause.

Theres plenty of What have we done? and Wow, what could we do? to go around in Human Nature, which makes for a health swirl of amazement and caution. But as the world tries to right itself from the spread of an unseen global threat, it may very well be the amazement in Bolts film that viewers cling to most.

'Human Nature'

Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Playing: VOD and digital

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Review: Human Nature hits home in the age of coronavirus - Los Angeles Times

Plant diseases arguably pose the biggest threat to agriculture, exacting a dramatic economic toll and endangering the livelihoods of farmers all over the world, writes Steven Cerier in this article published by Genetic Literacy Project (GLP).

Cerier says in his article that fortunately, powerful innovations in plant genetics are inoculating globally important food crops against these devastating diseases. Such innovations include new breeding techniques (NBTs), particularly gene-editing tools like CRISPR, as well as more established breeding methods like transgenesis, used to develop GMO crops.

Collectively, these technologies are helping farmers safeguard their yields with sustainable, environmentally friendly disease-resistance measures. In developing countries this could be thedifference betweena profitable harvest and going hungry.

Like humans, plants have evolved an immune system that helps themfight off infectionsspread by insects, bacteria, viruses and fungi. But in the nonstop Darwinian struggle for survival, these microorganisms often outsmart the defenses plants muster to protect themselves. The tools of biotechnology were developed to give food crops a leg up in this struggle. Scientists can use CRISPR, for example, to delete DNA segments that make plants susceptible to infection.

Dozens of crops engineered to resist disease have already beendeveloped and approvedby regulators in the US and other countries.

Blight-tolerant spuds

Potatoes have been developed that are immune to late blight disease. Scientists in the Netherlands and Ireland have successfully carried out field trials of a disease-resistantgenetically engineered potato. The new variety was created through a process of cisgenesis, in which genes from a wild potato were used to confer disease resistance on its domesticated relative.

The disease-resistant crop reduced fungicide spraying by up to 90%, and is likely to be successful because the potato selected for the trials is already widely cultivated and consumed. If approved, itll just have the added blight-tolerance trait.

Scientists in Uganda have also created a genetically engineeredblight-resistantpotato. Five years of field trials have shown the variety is virtually 100 percent resistant to late blight disease and requires no chemical spraying, theInternational Potato Centersaid of the research.

Read the full article by Steven Cerier on this page of GLP

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From hunger to profitable harvest: How GMO, CRISPR-edited plants can help curb $220 billion in annual crop losses - Potato News Today

CRISPR and CAS Gene Market 2020 Global Industry Research report presents an in-depth analysis of the CRISPR and CAS Gene market size, growth, share, segments, manufacturers, and technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization, deployment models, opportunities, future roadmap and 2027 forecast.

Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market 2020 Industry Research Report is an expert and inside and out examination on the flow condition of the Global CRISPR and CAS Gene industry. In addition, investigate report sorts the worldwide CRISPR and CAS Gene market by top players/brands, area, type and end client. This report likewise examines the different Factors impacting the market development and drivers, further reveals insight into market review, key makers, key received by them, size, most recent patterns and types, income, net edge with provincial examination and figure.

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List Of TOP KEY PLAYERS in CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Report areCaribou Biosciences Inc., CRISPR Therapeutics, Mirus Bio LLC, Editas Medicine, Takara Bio Inc., Synthego, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., GenScript, Addgene, Merck KGaA (Sigma-Aldrich), Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., OriGene Technologies, Inc., New England Biolabs, Dharmacon, Cellecta, Inc., Agilent Technologies, and Applied StemCell, Inc.

Scope of Report:

The global CRISPR and CAS Gene market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period, between 2020 and 2027. In 2020, the market was growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption of strategies by key players, the market is expected to rise over the projected horizon.

This report covers present status and future prospects for CRISPR and CAS Gene Market forecast till 2027. Market Overview, Development, and Segment by Type, Application and Region. Global Market by company, Type, Application and Geography. The report begins from overview of industrial chain structure, and describes the upstream. Besides, the report analyses CRISPR and CAS Gene market trends, size and forecast in different geographies, type and end-use segment, in addition, the report introduces market competition overview among the major companies and companies profiles, besides, market price and channel features are covered in the report.

CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Research Report provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector.

CRISPR and CAS Gene Market global industry research report is a professional and in-depth study on the market size, growth, share, trends, as well as industry analysis. According to the details of the consumption figures, the global CRISPR and CAS Gene market forecast 2027.

Market by Region:

North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)

Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Russia, Spain etc.)

Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia etc.)

South America (Brazil, Argentina etc.)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa etc.)

KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS

The CRISPR and CAS Gene report provides extensive qualitative insights on the potential and niche segments or regions exhibiting favourable growth.

The report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging market trends and opportunities in the global CRISPR and CAS Gene market.

A comprehensive analysis of the factors that drive and restrict the growth of the CRISPR and CAS Gene market is provided.

An extensive analysis of the CRISPR and CAS Gene market is conducted by following key product positioning and monitoring the top competitors within the market framework.

The report provides detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of current trends and future estimations that help evaluate the prevailing market opportunities.

The report also focuses on global major leading industry players of Global CRISPR and CAS Gene market providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, price, capacity, cost, production, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global CRISPR and CAS Gene market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. The Global CRISPR and CAS Gene market development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

Main Aspects covered in the Report

Overview of the CRISPR and CAS Gene market including production, consumption, status and forecast and market growth.

2016-2019 historical data and 2020-2027 market forecast.

Geographical analysis including major countries.

Overview the product type market including development.

Overview the end-user market including development.

Research objectives:

To understand the structure of CRISPR and CAS Gene market by identifying its various sub segments.

Focuses on the key global CRISPR and CAS Gene manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.

To analyze the CRISPR and CAS Gene with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.

To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).

To project the consumption of CRISPR and CAS Gene submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).

To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

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Detailed TOC of Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Study 2020-2027:

1 Industry Overview

1.1 CRISPR and CAS Gene Industry

Figure CRISPR and CAS Gene Industry Chain Structure

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Development of CRISPR and CAS Gene

1.2 Market Segment

1.2.1 Upstream

Table Upstream Segment of CRISPR and CAS Gene

1.2.2 Downstream

Table Application Segment of CRISPR and CAS Gene

Table Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market 2020-2027, by Application, in USD Million

1.3 Cost Analysis

2 Industry Environment (PEST Analysis)

2.1 Policy

2.2 Economics

2.3 Sociology

2.4 Technology

3 CRISPR and CAS Gene Market by Type

3.1 By Type

3.1.1 Pigment Grade

Table Major Company List of Pigment Grade

3.1.2 Metallurgical Grade

Table Major Company List of Metallurgical Grade

3.1.3 Refractory Grade

Table Major Company List of Refractory Grade

3.1.4 Others

Table Major Company List of Others

3.2 Market Size

Table Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market 2016-2019, by Type, in USD Million

Figure Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Growth 2016-2019, by Type, in USD Million

Table Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market 2016-2019, by Type, in Volume

Figure Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Growth 2016-2019, by Type, in Volume

3.3 Market Forecast

Table Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Forecast 2020-2027, by Type, in USD Million

Table Global CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Forecast 2020-2027, by Type, in Volume

4 Major Companies List

4.1 Elementis (Company Profile, Sales Data etc.)

4.1.1 Elementis Profile

Table Elementis Overview List

4.1.2 Elementis Products & Services

4.1.3 Elementis Business Operation Conditions

Table Business Operation of Elementis (Sales Revenue, Sales Volume, Price, Cost, Gross Margin)

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At last, the report gives the inside and out examination of CRISPR and CAS Gene Market took after by above, which are useful for organizations or individual for development of their present business or the individuals who are hoping to enter in CRISPR and CAS Gene industry.

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CRISPR and CAS Gene Market Analysis And Growth Rate and Forecast to 2027 - Packaging News 24

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) registered volume of 1243310 shares in most recent trading session as compared to an average volume of 1.08M shares. It shows that the shares were traded in the recent trading session and traders shown interest in CRSP stock. Listed Shares of the CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) moved down -1.26% to trade at $37.64 on Friday trading session. It has a market capitalization of $2.41B. Knowing about the market capitalization of a company helps investor to determine the company size, market value and the risk. The stock P/E & is 38.76 & EPS is $0.97 against its recent stock value of $37.64 per share.

First we will be looking for the boiling points and excitability of CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) stock, it purposes common trait for traders and value investors.

Volatility Indicators for CRISPR Therapeutics AG:

Volatility of the CRISPR Therapeutics AG remained at 10.39% over last week and shows 8.02% volatility in last month. In addition to number of shares traded in last few trading sessions volatility also tells about the fluctuation level of the stock price, commonly a high volatility is the friend of day traders. Volatility is also measured by ATR an exponential moving average (14-days) of the True Ranges. Currently, the ATR value of companys stock is situated at 3.97. Beta value is also an important factor that helps to know how much the Market risk lies with the trading of subjective stock. Beta indicator of this stock lies at 2.69. In case you dont know, when beta is higher than 1 then risk is higher and if beta is lower than 1, then risk will be low.

Now entering into the performance part of the article on CRISPR Therapeutics AG stock we should check the stocks actual performance in the past.

Performance of the CRSP Stock:

CRISPR Therapeutics AG revealed performance of -25.99% during the period of last 5 trading days and shown last 12 months performance of -2.36%. The stock moved to -21.65% in last six months and it maintained for the month at -34.82%. The stock noted year to date 2020 performance at -38.20% and changed about -42.67% over the last three months. The stock is now standing at -49.14% from 52 week-high and is situated at 12.19% above from 52-week low price.

Technical Indicators of CRISPR Therapeutics AG Stock:

RSI momentum oscillator is the most common technical indicator of a stock to determine about the momentum of the shares price and whether the stock trading at normal range or its becoming oversold or overbought. It also helps to measure Speed and change of stock price movement. RSI reading varies between 0 and 100. Commonly when RSI goes below 30 then stock is oversold and stock is overbought when it goes above 70. So as currently the Relative Strength Index (RSI-14) reading of CRISPR Therapeutics AG stock is 24.2.

Although it is important to look for trades in a direction of bigger trends when stocks are indicating an opposite short-term movement. Like looking for overbought conditions when bigger trend remained down and oversold conditions when bigger trend is up. In order to check a bigger trend for CRSP a 14-day RSI can fell short and considered as a short-term indicator. So in that situation a Simple moving average of a stock can also be an important element to look in addition to RSI.

The share price of CRSP is currently down -26.59% from its 20 days moving average and trading -31.32% below the 50 days moving average. The stock price has been seen performing along below drift from its 200 days moving average with -26.24%. Moving averages are an important analytical tool used to identify current price trends and the potential for a change in an established trend. The simplest form of using a simple moving average in analysis is using it to quickly identify if a security is in an uptrend or downtrend.

Profitability Spotlight for CRISPR Therapeutics AG:

Operating Margin which tells about what proportion of a companys revenue is left over after paying for variable costs of production such as wages & raw materials is noted at 16.10%. Net profit margin of the company is 23.10% that shows how much the company is actually earning by every dollar of sales.

Return on Investment (ROI) of stock is 4.90%. ROI ratio tells about the efficiency of a number of investments in a company. Return on Assets (ROA) which shows how much the company is profitable as compared to its total assets is observed at 9.60%. Return on Equity (ROE), which tells about the profitability of the corporation by evaluating the profit it generates in ratio to the money shareholders have invested, is noted at 11.70%.

The price-to-earnings ratio or P/E is one of the most widely-used stock analysis tools to determine a stocks valuation that also shows whether a companys stock price is overvalued/overbought or undervalued/oversold. If P/E is lower, then stock can be considered undervalued and if its higher then the stock is overvalued. Price to earnings P/E of the stock is 38.76.

Analysts Estimation on Stock:

The current analyst consensus rating stood at 2.2 on shares (where according to data provided by FINVIZ, 1.0 Strong Buy, 2.0 Buy, 3.0 Hold, 4.0 Sell, 5.0 Strong Sell). Analysts opinion is also an important factor to conclude a stocks trend. Many individual analysts and firms give their ratings on a stock. While Looking ahead of 52-week period, the mean Target Price set by analysts is $74.46.

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Digging CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) Stock, what Came to Know? - News Welcome

Cancer drivers converge on NOTCH

Cancer genomesequencing projects have emphasized the handful of genes mutated at high frequency in patients. Less attention has been directed to the hundreds of genes mutated in only a few patientsthe so-called long tail mutations. Although rare, these mutations may nonetheless inform patient care. Loganathan et al. developed a reverse genetic CRISPR screen that allowed them to functionally assess in mice nearly 500 long tail gene mutations that occur in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). They identified 15 tumor-suppressor genes with activities that converged on the NOTCH signaling pathway. Given that NOTCH itself is mutated at high frequency in HNSCC, these results suggest that the growth of these tumors is largely driven by NOTCH inactivation.

Science, this issue p. 1264

In most human cancers, only a few genes are mutated at high frequencies; most are mutated at low frequencies. The functional consequences of these recurrent but infrequent long tail mutations are often unknown. We focused on 484 long tail genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and used in vivo CRISPR to screen for genes that, upon mutation, trigger tumor development in mice. Of the 15 tumor-suppressor genes identified, ADAM10 and AJUBA suppressed HNSCC in a haploinsufficient manner by promoting NOTCH receptor signaling. ADAM10 and AJUBA mutations or monoallelic loss occur in 28% of human HNSCC cases and are mutually exclusive with NOTCH receptor mutations. Our results show that oncogenic mutations in 67% of human HNSCC cases converge onto the NOTCH signaling pathway, making NOTCH inactivation a hallmark of HNSCC.

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Rare driver mutations in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas converge on NOTCH signaling - Science Magazine

The Report titled: Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Analysis: Production, Capacity, Sales, Revenue, Trends, Revenue Share, and Forecast till 2024

The authors of the CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Report have done extensive study of the global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes market keeping in mind the key aspects such as growth determinants, opportunities, challenges, restraints, and market developments. This analysis will enrich the ability of the companies involved in the global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes market to make precise decisions. The report also emphasizes on the current and future trends in the global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes market, which may bode well for the global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes market in the coming years.

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Table of Contents:

Section 1 CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Product DefinitionSection 2 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview2.1 Global Manufacturer CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Shipments2.2 Global Manufacturer CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Business Revenue2.3 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market OverviewSection 3 Manufacturer CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Business IntroductionSection 4 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Region Level)5.1 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Product Type Level) Market Size 2014-20195.2 Different CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Product Type Price 2014-20195.3 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Product Type Level) AnalysisSection 6 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Industry Level)6.1 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Industry Level) Market Size 2014-20196.2 Different Industry Price 2014-20196.3 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Industry Level) AnalysisSection 7 Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segmentation (Channel Level)

. And More

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Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:

Caribou Biosciences, Addgene, CRISPR THERAPEUTICS, Merck KGaA, Mirus Bio LLC, Editas Medicine, Takara Bio USA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Horizon Discovery Group, Intellia Therapeutics, GE Healthcare Dharmacon

Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segment by Type, covers

Global CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into

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Key Highlights of CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Report:

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CRISPR And CRISPR-Associated (Cas) Genes Market Insights, Status, Latest Amendments, Outlook, Trends, Growth, Scope, Size, Overall Analysis and...