Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Alzheimer's disease is the fourth largest killer of people worldwide, yet it doesn't have any approved medications that can treat or slow the progression of the disease.

It's estimated that 36 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer's or related dementias and this commonality along with lack of cure is why so much funding goes into Alzheimer's research.

One new study might be making headway's in helping to develop new therapies to treat the disease. A team of researchers have found mutations in the gene CSF-1R, which has been linked to a rare form of dementia. Called Leukoencephalopathy, the novel finding might help researchers understand enough about the disease to develop thereapeutics for Alzheimer's.

The research was published in ERMBO Molecular Medicine.

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News reports that Colin Doherty, one of the researchers that participated in the study, said, "It is absolutely critical that we focus our research endeavors on identifying the underlying cause of neurodegenerative conditions. Studies like these will pave the way for better clinical management of our patients and hopefully new medicines to treat the condition.

One of the biggest co-effects of Alzheimers is the finding of variations in blood vessels in the brain. This finding is incredibly common, found in about 80 percent of patients with the disease, but the causes of this are largely not known.

The researchers noted that by focusing in on a very rare form of brain disease, they've been able to narrow down the specific gene mutation that causes the condition. Since the rare disease draws significant parallels in effects on patients to Alzheimer's, the team is hoping that the found gene mutation might draw parallels to Alzheimer's.

By finding the mutation, the team was able to tie to the loss in function of damaged blood vessels in the brain caused by the mutation to the development of dementia in patients.

The study was able to demonstrate the the mutation in CSF-1R caused a loss of signaling that disrupted the blood-brain barrier, inhibits the ability of macrophages, or cells involved in fighting bacteria, from avoiding certain plaques effectively.

RELATED: NEW RESEARCH LINKS CHRONIC GUM DISEASE WITH ALZHEIMER'S

The data from this research is directly informing the researchers other preclinical studies in Alzheimer's research. The findings also helped them learn more about a neurodegeneration mechanism that may lead to further discoveries in more common dementia patients.

You can read the rest of the study inERMBO Molecular Medicine.

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Gene Mutation Discovered that Could Help Create Alzheimer's Therapeutics - Interesting Engineering

In 2020, the year of the pandemic, some scientists became bona fide celebrities. Even researchers who didnt join regular press conferences had unprecedented influence over peoples lives. Its rare for science to dominate a year as much as it did over the past 12 months.

Chinas role was pivotal. It was where the first cases of COVID-19 were reported. It was also where, overcoming the early misinformation about the nature of the outbreak, Chinese scientists quicklysequencedthe virus and shared their findings with the world, allowing for vaccines to be developed at remarkable speed.

Besides those vaccines some developed by Chinese pharmaceutical companies, slated to be widely rolled out over the coming months 2021 has plenty more in store for scientific developments.

Sixth Tone spoke with several Chinese researchers to ask what they are working on and where their field is heading in 2021.

Space Ambitions

After several successful moon missions, 2021 will be the year when China starts building its own space station, dubbed Tiangong, or Sky Palace. For April, the China National Space Administration has scheduled to launch Tiangongs core unit. Before the end of 2022, two experiment units will follow and dock with the core.

With a wider field of view than the Hubble Space Telescope, a telescope aboard the space station launch date unclear promises to reveal parts of the universe previously unobserved, astronomer Chen Pengfei at Nanjing University tells Sixth Tone. The first manned mission to the space station is expected to take place in the next few years.

If everything goes as planned, Chinas first two satellites for observing the sun will also launch in 2021. One of them, dubbed CHASE, is operated by Chens team and will focus on detecting solar activities.

And around May, Chinas first Mars probe is slated to land on the red planet after a 10-month voyage.

Diving to Greater Depths

Closer to home but no less unknown is the deep ocean, much of which has yet to be surveyed, says Jiang Xuefeng, a chemist at East China Normal University in Shanghai. But deep ocean exploration is slated to be a scientific focus for China starting in 2021, according to a government development plan.

Despite the deep ocean being dark, cold, and almost devoid of oxygen, it is nevertheless home to an abundance of life. Scientists have discovered in the past decades that the chemicals these organisms produce for surviving such inhospitable conditions could cure some of the most detrimental human diseases, like cancer. Jiang expects more research into them will lead to breakthroughs in the field of medicine in the next few years.

In 2020, the submersible Fendouzhe, or Striver, became the first Chinese manned vessel to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot on earth. Its like a spacecraft, Jiang tells Sixth Tone. With that tool bringing us to the deep ocean, we can better study chemicals and reactions happening in the extreme environment.

Mapping Gut Microbiota

Other chemicals with big effects on human health are expected to be found inside our own bowels. Over the past two decades, scientists have unraveled how our intestines affect whole-body health, identifying some 50 human diseases that are influenced by gut microbiota the communities microorganisms form such as fatty-liver diseases and Alzheimers disease.

But exactly which bacteria are responsible for which diseases remains a black box, says Yuan Jing, a microbiota researcher at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing. We can tell a patient has a different and imbalanced mix of microorganisms compared with healthy people, but which one or ones are the culprits remains unclear.

Yuan expects new information to come to light in 2021, as many researchers shift their focus to trace compounds released by gut microbiota directly impacting other organs, potentially in harmful ways.

Engineered Pigs

Other medical advances might come from a new research institute studying pigs, on track to finish construction in 2021. The lab, located in northern Chinas Hebei province, is called Tianpeng Project after a famous swine character from the centuries-old novel Journey to the West.

One goal of the project is to use genetic engineering to develop porcine models creating groups of pigs with particular features to be used in medical research. Compared with the classic rodent model, pigs are much more similar to humans and are thus better tools for replicating diseases such as cystic fibrosis, and facilitating drug discovery.

Moreover, with genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR, scientists can make pigs immune to deadly diseases such as African swine fever and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, says Hu Xiaoxiang, a biotechnologist at China Agricultural University in Beijing.

The U.S. government just approved the first genetically engineered pigs for food in December, and Hu thinks gene technology in agriculture will be a future trend.

It is the most efficient way to resist a disease, better than any pills or vaccines, she tells Sixth Tone.

6G Looming

More is in store for our phones and other electronics. Even though 5G is still being rolled out, scientists are busy working on the next generation of mobile communication, 6G.

In 2021, it should become clearer what kinds of improvements might be included when the standard is decided years down the line. One possible candidate, engineer Sun Songlin at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications tells Sixth Tone, is technology that allows transmitting data in the very high, terahertz frequency range.

This should offer greater bandwidth and thus faster data transmission with even fewer delays than 5G. Several domestic institutions, including University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in the southwestern Sichuan province and Suns school, have ongoing projects to explore whether this solution can deliver in real life what it promises in theory.

The experiment data coming in 2021 is likely to determine whether terahertz will be included as part of the 6G standards, Sun says.

Advanced Wearable Devices

Other mobile technology might find its way onto peoples wrists this year. Zhang Wuxiong, an engineer at Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences hopes to see better sensors being developed in 2021. Blood pressure meters, for example, may soon be integrated into smart watches. The feature requires a leap in Chinas sensor development technology, Zhang tells Sixth Tone.

Over 95% of sensors in China are imported. It (sensor manufacturing) is the hardest nut to crack, Zhang says.

So far, many scientists have been experimenting with wearable sensors that can measure how light reflects differently when blood pressure changes. Zhang expects the accuracy to improve as scientists work out how to eliminate inference from factors such as skin color.

Tangible Carbon

One cutting-edge discovery that will become commonplace is graphene. The ultra-thin material made of pure carbon that won its inventors a Nobel Prize a decade ago will finally enter ordinary peoples lives in 2021, Yu Qingkai, a materials scientist at the Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, predicts.

When graphene was first discovered in the 2000s, scientists called it a wonder material because of its remarkable properties: transparent, a good conductor, and lighter than paper but hundreds of times stronger than steel. It has potential applications in almost every field, from making flexible electronics and building better water filters to facilitating biomedical research. However, its high price tag of up to several hundred dollars per gram has been a limiting factor, Yu tells Sixth Tone.

Recent advancements in graphene production have made larger-scale applications possible. Huawei, Chinas mobile device giant, started to use graphene for heat dissipation in its 5G cellphones in 2019.

Yu and his team are working on further improving the efficiency of graphene manufacturing. With greater yields, the price will drop to as low as a common raw chemical material, Yu says about their goal for 2021. Industries will enjoy it and use it for their products.

Sequencing Autism

Another field slated for breakthroughs is the origins of autism spectrum disorder. In 2021, researchers in Shanghai will build a database with the genetic sequencing information of 1,000 Chinese people with autism spectrum disorder and their parents. Genetic mutations have previously been found to be one cause of autism, and types of mutations are likely to vary across different races, says Qiu Zilong, neuroscientist at Shanghais Institute of Neuroscience under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

So we cant use data from, say, American research, to study cases among Chinese people, Qiu tells Sixth Tone. He expects the database, the first of its kind in China, will help reveal hundreds of genetic mutations associated with autism in the Chinese population.

(In-text images: People Visual)

(Header image:Shijue Select/People Visual)

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The Chinese Science Trends to Watch For in 2021 - Sixth Tone

CRISPR, a tool for editing the genetic code in living organisms, was first discovered in 2007. Since then, the prospect of eliminating diseases by editing the human genome has been hovering on the edge of science fiction and reality.

Until 2020.

Here are four incredible CRISPR breakthroughs that happened this year.

"When we think about how CRISPR will be applied in the future, that is really one of the most important bottlenecks to the field right now: delivery," Jennifer Doudna, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Emmanuelle Charpentier in October for creating CRISPR, told Genetic Engineering News.

Accessing DNA in living cells has been the biggest challenge for CRISPR. The most widely used CRISPR gene editing system uses a protein called Cas9, which is naturally found in bacteria and archaea. Their biological role is to fight off viruses by destroying the viruses' DNA and cutting it out of their genomes.

However, scientists can use them as "DNA scissors," which can be used to cut disease-causing mutations out of any DNA.

The trouble is Cas9, as well as other proteins used in different CRISPR systems, are all really bulky, which makes it difficult to access the smallest nooks and crannies of the human genome.

However, in July Doudna and her University of California Berkeley team announced that they found a new Cas protein.

Drumroll, please. Enter the tiny Cas (pronounced "Cas-phi").

At practically half the size, Cas can reach areas of the human genome that most CRISPR gene editing proteins cannot. This new protein could be a game-changer for genetic engineering.

This year researchers announced the results of an on-going clinical trial that tested CRISPR's ability to edit the DNA of living cells and possibly cure genetic diseases in humans.

The study focused on two of the most common genetic disorders globally sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. The only cure for these blood diseases is via a stem cell transplant from a viable donor. But often, the recipients have to take immunosuppressants for months or years, with difficult side effects.

The trials involved collecting blood stem cells from the patients. Then, researchers used CRISPR to alter the cells' genes, and finally transplanted the stem cells back into the patients. Several months later, when patients reported that their symptoms were gone, the scientific community hailed the study as a gene therapy breakthrough calling it a cure.

"I am encouraged by the preliminary results, which demonstrate, in essence, a functional cure for patients with beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease," researcher Haydar Frangoul said in a news release.

The next step is expanding the study by enrolling 45 patients and observing them long-term.

The U.S. doesn't have enough donor organs to fulfill every need. As a result, approximately 17 people die each day because they couldn't get the liver, heart, or lung they required.

To solve this shortage, scientists have been looking into cross-species donation or xenotransplantation for a decade, with little progress. Our immune system is designed to attack intruders, which is excellent when you have the flu, but it makes xenotransplantation practically impossible.

"The approach, if validated through further studies, could help solve global organ shortage (and) alleviate transplantation needs."

Now, thanks to CRISPR, xenotransplantation could be possible. Using CRISPR, researchers at Qihan Biotech modified the DNA of pigs to make them more compatible with humans. The researchers made 13 genetic modifications to the pigs, all in the hopes of making them more acceptable to the human body. In vitro lab tests showed promise cells from the gene-edited pigs appeared less likely to be rejected by the human immune system than those of unmodified animals.

"The approach, if validated through further studies, could help solve global organ shortage (and) alleviate transplantation needs," Qihan Biotech co-founder George Church said in a press release.

Further studies are underway: the team is now testing an organ transplant from a gene-edited pig into a primate.

Scientists at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland used CRISPR inside the human body for the first time in a patient that had an inherited form of blindness.

Doctors dropped the gene-editing tool behind the retina via three drops of liquid that passed through a tube the size of a human hair. Once in the body, CRISPR went to work. It snipped the mutated gene on both sides of the problem area. They hope that once the mutation was removed, the snipped DNA will reconnect itself, allowing the gene to function as it should. They are now in clinical trials.

"Once the cell is edited, it's permanent and that cell will persist hopefully for the life of the patient," because these cells don't divide, said one study leader not involved in this first case, Dr. Eric Pierce at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.

If all goes according to plan, the patient should regain their vision within a few months. Next, the doctors plan to further test the procedure on 18 children and adults.

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CRISPRs Big Year: Top Breakthroughs of 2020 - Freethink

Dublin, Dec. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market 2020: A Benchmark of the Top 10 Companies" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report profiles companies actively involved in developing microbiome therapeutics.

Microbiome present in the human body has a major role to play in the overall functioning of the human body. Human microbiota consists of a diverse population of bacterial, viral and eukaryotic communities and is present on skin, nasopharynx, oral cavity, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and female reproductive tract. The naturally occurring microbiota is actively involved in metabolic cycle and the performance of immune system.

Today, with deeper understanding of microbiome and its role in human health, we are able to utilize microbiome for developing therapeutics. Designing microbial therapeutics has been challenging, however with the help of genetic engineering tools manipulating these naturally occurring consortia of microbiome has gained momentum in the last five years.

Numerous studies are being conducted to gain deeper understanding of host-microbiome interaction for developing targeted therapeutics. A significant focus of human microbiome research has been studying the bacteria in the gut, which represent the largest community both in terms of abundance and diversity. Microbiome therapeutics companies are increasingly involved in developing therapies for dysbiosis, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, even neurological disorders as schizophrenia and autism.Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperative and Growth Environment

2. The Radar: Microbiome Therapeutics

3. Companies to Action

4. Strategic Insights

5. Next Steps: Leveraging The Radar to Empower Key Stakeholders

6. The Radar: Analytics

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gbn8m2

About ResearchAndMarkets.comResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Top 10 Companies in the Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market - GlobeNewswire

The demand within the global spatial genomics and transcriptomics market is expanding at a stellar pace in the years to follow. Advancements in molecular biology have paved the way for revenue inflow into the global spatial genomics and transcriptomics market. The need for studying genetic patterns in humans, animals, and plants has generated new opportunities for market expansion, Genetic engineering has emerged as a robust domain within nascent biological sciences, creating room for experimentation and analysis. The applications of genomics in molecular biology and genetic studies has given a thrust to market expansion.

In this custom review, TMR Research delves into the extrinsic and intrinsic trends that are shaping the growth graph of the global spatial genomics and transcriptomics market. The domain of biological sciences has encapsulated new technologies for studying sizes, compositions, and archetypes of human genes. This is playing a vital role in driving sales across the global spatial genomics and transcriptomics market. This review also assesses the impact of advancements in genetic engineering to decode market growth.

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Spatial Genomics & Transcriptomics Market: Notable Developments

Key Players

Spatial Genomics & Transcriptomics Market: Growth Drivers

The high incidence of genetic disorders has probed the medical industry to invest in new technologies for genetic engineering and gene transfer studies. Several medical centers and research units are investing in the study of dyslexia, downs syndrome, and other genetic inconsistencies. This has created fresh avenues for growth across the global spatial genomics and transcriptomics market. In addition to this, the use of next-generation genetic studies for understanding genetic disorders has also given a thrust to market expansion.

The importance of microbiology in genetic studies has created a boatload of opportunities for growth and expansion across the global spatial genomics and transcriptomics market. The use of spatial genomics to understand the structure and composition of genes has enabled the inflow of fresh revenues into the global market. Besides, the use of genetic studies in the domain of veterinary care has also generated humongous opportunities for market expansion. The study of human and animal genes often goes hand-in-hand for the purpose of core research and analysis.

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Regional Segments

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TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.

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Spatial Genomics & Transcriptomics Market Demand is Expanding at a Stellar Pace in the Years to Follow - BioSpace

By: Explained Desk | New Delhi | Updated: December 19, 2020 12:45:50 pmThis undated photo provided by Revivicor, Inc., a unit of United Therapeutics, shows a genetically modified pig. (Revivicor, Inc. via AP)

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a first-of-its-kind intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in a line of domestic pigs referred to as GalSafe pigs. These pigs may be used for food and human therapeutics, the FDA has said. This will be the first time that the regulator has approved an animal biotechnology product for both food and biomedical purposes.

What is intentional genomic alteration?

Intentional genomic alteration in animals means making specific changes to the genome of the organism using modern molecular technologies that are popularly referred to as genome editing or genetic engineering. However, there are other technologies that can be used to make IGAs in animals.

Such changes in the DNA sequence of an animal may be carried out for research purposes, to produce healthier meat for human consumption and to study disease resistance in animals among other reasons. One example is of using IGAs to make an animal more susceptible to certain diseases such as cancer, which helps researchers get a better understanding of the disease and develop new therapies to treat it.

The FDA maintains that the only difference between an animal with an IGA and one that does not have an IGA is that the IGA gives them a new trait or characteristic, such as faster growth or resistance to certain diseases.

Essentially, an IGA is inserted into an animal to change or alter its structure and function and the FDA makes sure that the IGA contained in the animal is safe for the animal and safe for anyone who consumes a product or food derived from the animal. Follow Express Explained on Telegram

What does FDAs recent approval mean?

The FDA made the announcement this week and allowed IGA in GalSafe pigs to eliminate a type of sugar found in mammals called alpha-gal. This sugar is present on the surface of these pigs cells and when they are used for products such as medicines or food (the sugar is found in red meats such as beef, pork and lamb), the sugar makes some people with Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) more susceptible to developing mild to severe allergic reactions.

Since GalSafe pigs may potentially be used to produce human medical products, IGA will help eventually free these products from detectable alpha-gal sugar, thereby protecting their human consumers from potential allergies.

According to the FDA, GalSafe pigs may be used to make the blood-thinning drug heparin.

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Explained: What US FDA nod for genetically modified pigs means - The Indian Express

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., Dec. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII), a leading plant-based, biotechnology company focused on tobacco harm reduction, very low nicotine content tobacco, and hemp/cannabis research, announced today that it was granted a new U.S. patent related to the control of cannabinoid and terpene production in plants. This new intellectual property exclusively provides 22nd Century with unique and powerful tools to alter the cannabinoid biosynthesis pathway in hemp/cannabis plants.

"We are delighted to receive this patent, which is the result of work carried out by our own scientists. This important, new technology will allow us to genetically modify hemp/cannabis plants to modulate their cannabinoid and terpene profiles in order to tailor these plants therapeutic qualities and enhance the consumers hemp/cannabis experience," said Juan Sanchez Tamburrino, Ph.D., vice president of research & development at 22nd Century Group. "Our patent application describes eight promoters, which are essentially molecular on/off switches, covering all of the major steps in the cannabinoid biosynthesis pathway. Typically, developing hemp/cannabis plants with new cannabinoid or terpene profiles could take 10 to 20 years using traditional breeding methods. Now, with the combined technologies and know-how of 22nd Century and KeyGene, we expect to shorten the development timeline to create new, differentiated, hemp/cannabis plant lines in just 4 to 5 years. Doing so will provide the Company and its potential licensees and customers with significant competitive advantage as hemp/cannabis continues to penetrate the life science, consumer product, and pharmaceutical markets.

At 22nd Century Group, we take a scientific and solutions-oriented approach to advancing ground-breaking, plant-based technology. We are excited to secure this patent, and we believe that it demonstrates our unique and leading role in plant science innovation within the $100 billion global hemp/cannabis market, said James A. Mish, chief executive officer of 22nd Century Group.

The new patent, published as U.S. Patent No. 10,787,674 B2 and entitled "Trichome specific promoters for the manipulation of cannabinoids and other compounds in glandular trichomes," enables 22nd Century to develop and deliver new hemp/cannabis plants that are designed to produce cannabinoids more efficiently. The Company can potentially increase the yield of plants, stabilize the level of cannabinoids that are produced, and create custom cannabinoid profiles optimized for specific therapeutic uses. 22nd Century will also be able to potentially modulate the terpene levels within the plant increasing them to deliver new strains of cannabis for the adult-use/recreational market and reducing them to remove the odor and taste for improved application in foods and beverages.

Cannabinoids, such as CBD, CBC, and CBG, are valuable compounds that hold great promise for the development of new medicines and other therapeutic applications. Cannabis sativa is the only plant species that produces significant amounts of these compounds including more than one hundred different cannabinoids in varying quantities. In nature, cannabis plants restrict production of these potentially toxic compounds to the trichomes which are tiny hair-like stems and globes that grow on the surface of the plant. To successfully manipulate cannabinoids, the Companys new technology activates molecular promoters, on/off switches, specifically and only in the plants trichomes where the majority of cannabinoids are produced. These regulatory sequences dynamically enhance or restrict gene expression levels, controlling the expression of genetic information that leads to the production of cannabinoids.

About 22nd Century Group,Inc.22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII) is a leading plant biotechnology company focused on technologies that alter the level of nicotine in tobacco plants and the level of cannabinoids in hemp/cannabis plants through genetic engineering, gene-editing, and modern plant breeding. 22nd Centurys primary mission in tobacco is to reduce the harm caused by smoking through the Companys proprietary reduced nicotine content tobacco cigarettes containing 95% less nicotine than conventional cigarettes. The Companys primary mission in hemp/cannabis is to develop and commercialize proprietary hemp/cannabis plants with valuable cannabinoid profiles and desirable agronomic traits.

Learn more atxxiicentury.com, on Twitter@_xxiicenturyand onLinkedIn.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsExcept for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements typically contain terms such as anticipate, believe, consider, continue, could, estimate, expect, explore, foresee, goal, guidance, intend, likely, may, plan, potential, predict, preliminary, probable, project, promising, seek, should, will, would, and similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those explicit or implicit in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth in Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 11, 2020 and on Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. All information provided in this release is as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Relations & Media Contact:Mei KuoDirector, Communications & Investor Relations22nd Century Group, Inc.(716) 300-1221mkuo@xxiicentury.com

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22nd Century Group Achieves Breakthrough Hemp/Cannabis GMO Technology; Granted New Patent for Controlling Genes Responsible for Production of CBD,...

These concerns have proven to be well founded. Many species of insects no longer respond to the effects of pesticides. World pesticide use has increased dramatically, but the percentage of crops lost to pests has not declined. Insects consume as much as one-third of the Asian rice crop annually, and in the United States losses of fruit and vegetable crops from plant diseases may exceed 20 percent. Clearly, just pouring on more chemicals is no answer.

From Food Irradiation: Will It Keep the Doctor Away? November/December 1997:

Nearly 200 people in the US, most of them children or elderly, die each week from illnesses they contract from food. This spring, President Clinton called for new steps using cutting-edge technology to keep our food safe. One of the technologies that Clinton singles out is food irradiation.

It will probably take some truly traumatic E. coli outbreak before the food industry gets serious about irradiation, says James Tillotson, director of the Food Policy Institute at Tufts University. Without such a crisis, consumers wouldnt think of demanding irradiated food and companies that explore irradiation [would be] open to attacks by activist groups. No one is willing to get that kind of attention, he says, even when they might be doing the best thing for consumers.

From Why We Will Need Genetically Modified Foods, January/February 2014:

Plant scientists are careful to note that no magical gene can be inserted into a crop to make it drought tolerant or to increase its yieldeven resistance to a disease typically requires multiple genetic changes. But many of them say genetic engineering is a versatile and essential technique. Its an overwhelmingly logical thing to do, says Jonathan Jones, a scientist at the Sainsbury Laboratory in the U.K. The upcoming pressures on agricultural production, he says, will affect millions of people in poor countries. At the current level of agricultural production, theres enough food to feed the world, says Eduardo Blumwald, a plant scientist at the University of California, Davis. But when the population reaches nine billion? he says. No way, Jos.

Link:
From the archives - MIT Technology Review

Climate change will affect many agricultural crops, and field corn is likely no exception.

Field corn, the starchy cousin of sweet corn, is a globally important cereal grain used in livestock feed and other products. And it has an Achilles heel: unseasonably warm nights.

As nighttime temperatures rise, corn yields decline. These high temperatures affect an enzyme in maize responsible for storing starch. At higher nighttime temperatures, that enzyme, called PGD3, stops working, and the corn kernels will not produce as much starch, or will not properly develop, said Camila Ribeiro, a graduate of theUniversity of Florida (UF/IFAS) College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)and former postdoctoral researcher at theUF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center.

Over the next several decades, as we see climate change lead to higher nighttime temperatures, this could mean farmers wont be able to produce enough corn to stay in business, said Mark Settles, professor in theUF/IFAS horticultural sciences department. Thats a food supply issue and an economic problem.

But Ribeiro and Settles may have a solution. In a new study, they show that a new variety of field corn is productive even when nights are warm. This variety was developed via a novel genetic engineering technique that inserts a copy of a corn gene to make a protein in a new location in the plants cells. This finding could help inform traditional breeding efforts down the line.

To test how well their new corn variety fared in the heat, the researchers planted it during March and April at theUF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unitlocated about 30 minutes south of the main UF campus in Gainesville. Compared to the March plantings, the corn planted in April experienced warmer nights temperatures during kernel development.

The results were striking: the new variety produced 40% more yield under higher temperatures.

In the field, we had plots planted with engineered and non-engineered plants. They were growing under the same conditions, same temperatures. As we harvested the field, we could see just how much bigger the corn ears were in the new variety under heat stresses. It was very exciting to see, said Ribeiro, who completed this research as part of her a doctoral studies in plant molecular and cellular biology at UF/IFAS CALS.

It was exciting because, for people like us who want to figure out how to grow food with climate change, this is a promising result,said Settles, who was Ribeiros dissertation adviser. Ribeiro now works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) Maize & Sorghum in Brazil.

This new corn variety is more productive because the heat sensitive PGD3 enzyme that allows the plant to store starch is getting extra help.

PGD3 isnt the only enzyme in the cell that catalyzes its specific reaction. You also have PGD1 and PGD2. Unlike PGD3, 1 and 2 arent sensitive to heat, but they dont operate in the part of the cell where PGD3 operates, the amyloplast, which is the part of the plant cell that produces starch, Settles said. We wanted to find a way to move 1 and 2 into the amyloplast. Once there, we predicted they would be able to help kernels grow at higher temperatures.

Our study confirmed that when PGD1 and PGD2 proteins are relocated to the amyloplasts, it results in the characteristic we are looking for, heat resistance, Settles said.

The engineered genes open up the possibility of making new heat resistant varieties using traditional breeding techniques, the researchers say. Breeders could screen corn plants for heat-resistant forms of PGD3 to try to get the same effect.

Our study is an example of how genetic engineering techniques can speed up traditional plant breeding processes by giving breeders insight into how genes confer desired traits. Climate change is happening fast, and we need to develop plants that will adapt to this new environment as soon as possible, Settles said.

While such a corn variety may not be commercially available for several years, Ribeiro and Settles are hopeful that their plants will one day help feed a changing world.

Source: University of Florida

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Florida Researchers Develop Corn that Can Weather Warming Planet - Seed World

When did you first start using AAV vectors in your gene therapy work?

It came about 10 years ago when I was helping the Gates Foundation develop an approach for preventing HIV. Any attempt to use a traditional vaccine, where you inject a component of the virus to activate the immune system to develop proteins such as antibodies, had been challenging for HIV. Regardless of what you used to immunizebecause the virus changed so muchmost of it would escape. Once the field realized that, we started to look at other approaches, and it turns out its possible in the lab to engineer an antibody that could be effective against many types of HIV.

HIV represents a different type of pandemic than COVID-19. When did you turn to AAV vectors as a potential approach for other kinds of pandemics?

About eight years ago I started thinking about this as a countermeasure for a pandemic. The pandemics that we worry about are primarily transmitted through a respiratory route. If it were direct contact like Ebola virus, its not as dangerous because you can avoid touching one another. But if you cant even be in the same room, thats a problem.

Respiratory viruses enter our body through the nose and throat. Thats how we get infected. We proposed delivering the vector through a nasal mist or spray to engineer the cells that line the nose and throat to express the antibody. If you can localize this at that site to prevent the virus from going farther, then you dont need the whole body to express the antibodies.

The antibodies youre using, called casirivimab and imdevimab, are monoclonal antibodies, meaning they were created in a lab. Can you describe how they work?

Regeneron developed these. Theyre highly active and potent against SARS-CoV-2. For treatment, antibodies can be useful. If youre starting to get sick, you get an infusion or two of the antibodies and then you dont get sicker. But what do you do with 99% of the population who isnt sick and never gets sick? Our idea was to use an AAV vector expressing the antibodies to engineer someones cells to produce the antibodies. If we do this right, the expression could go on for a long period of time. Its a one-time vector infusion.

We were able to show in animal models that an AAV sprayed into the nose that expresses an antibody is effective against flu virus that causes respiratory diseases and has the potential to cause a pandemic. The treated animals were completely protected when exposed to flu virus. Its all about having the right antibody and then engineering a delivery system to have this blockage. We call it a bioshield. It could be a way to stop COVID-19 in its tracks.

Would this approach replace COVID-19 vaccines or be used in conjunction with them?

Theoretically, it could be used in place of a vaccine, but I suspect that traditional vaccines are going to succeed for a lot of people. We see our approach being deployed in individuals for which traditional vaccines may not work as well, patients with diseases that compromise their immune system such as cancer, patients who are on immune-modulating drugs, or even the elderly.

Early data seem to suggest that the elderly have some level of response to the active COVID-19 vaccine, but, like with many other vaccines, older people dont mount the same immune response as those who are younger. That said, I dont see any reason why receiving a traditional vaccine would preclude one from using our nasal spray because they do two different things.

The other possibility is that the COVID-19 vaccines we have become less effective because the virus changes. I dont think this will happen, and I hope it doesnt, but, if it does, the question becomes, Would the antibodies that Regeneron created become a backup? When we roll out an active vaccine based on a single spike protein into large populations, it creates pressure on the SARS-CoV-2 to change and potentially become resistant. I hope a variant doesnt emerge, but I do think it behooves us to have some redundancy in place to squelch a potential second wave due to resistant coronaviruses.

What is your projected timeline?

We are conducting one final experiment over the holiday break and in early January before we submit our request to the FDA for clinical trials. Weve had discussions with the FDA and have already done some of the initial testing, including safety testing in nonhuman primates, as well as preparing to manufacture the product. Conducting this in the Gene Therapy Program is beneficial since we are comfortable with AAV vectors and moving them into clinical trials. We support up to eight traditional AAV gene therapy programs a year, and we have the staff and technology to move pretty quickly.

If we get the go in January, I think our technology could contribute to the global response in eliminating COVID-19. And you have to understand, until we eliminate it globally, we havent actually eliminated it.

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Repurposing a proven gene therapy approach to treat, prevent COVID-19 - Penn Today