Manjeera Gowravaram

Dec 3, 2024 | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

Once brushed aside as a curiosity, extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is now taking centrestage in the complex field of cancer biology. Scientists first discovered it as a small fragment of genetic material in cancer cells 50 years ago. Because it was present in only 1.4% of tumours, they didn’t consider it to be important.

Nov 6, 2024 | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

On October 16, a biotechnology company in Massachusetts in the U.S. named Wave Life Sciences made headlines for becoming the first company to treat a genetic condition by editing RNA at the clinical level. But for all that this is a breakthrough, scientists had anticipated it. The role of RNA in a function called RNA interference — where small RNA molecules keep a gene from being expressed — has been essential for the success of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing.

Oct 13, 2024 | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram

Precision medicine is bringing in a new era of personalised healthcare. The field began to take concrete shape when scientists were wrapping up the Human Genome Project. Since then, genomics has played a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers, chronic diseases, and immunological, cardiovascular, and liver diseases. Other emerging technologies such as gene-editing and mRNA therapeutics also contribute to precision medicine.

Sep 12, 2024 | indiabioscience.org | Manjeera Gowravaram

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) have developed a device that can be 3D-printed and can be used to screen drug combinations in oral cancer patients. The design relies on patient-specific stem-like spheroids cultured on a chip. This innovation could help examine how individual patients respond to drugs before treatment begins.

Sep 11, 2024 | thehindu.com | Manjeera Gowravaram |Viraj Mehta

On August 24, the Government of India announced the ‘BioE3’ policy to drive innovation in the biotechnology sector by establishing biomanufacturing facilities, bio-AI hubs, and bio-foundries. (‘AI’ stands for artificial intelligence.) A key focus area of the policy is precision therapeutics, which involve developing and administering drugs according to the needs of individual patients. The policy also aims to boost the development of biologics such as gene therapy and cell therapy.