thebench.bio #1 Ecosystem for the Bio-Tech Industry

Research Daily Summary

Research Daily Summary: What Happened on November 9, 2026

Gene editing kept ANGPTL3 suppressed in primates for up to three years

Other studies tested a cell-division mechanism, gait-based health predictions and a heart-repair treatment in mice.

  • Updated
  • Read from 10 articles, 6 publications
  • N B P N

Today in brief

A single CRISPR base-editing treatment cut ANGPTL3 protein by more than 90% in nonhuman primates, with suppression observed for up to three years.1 VERVE-201 is now in a first-in-human trial, but researchers still need to establish its long-term safety and whether it reduces cardiovascular events.1

E2F1 restarted cell division without broadly changing chromatin accessibility, while an experimental mRNA treatment improved heart function in mice after a heart attack.23 A gait model improved health-trait predictions across body systems, and researchers linked ulcerative-colitis response patterns to vedolizumab outcomes.45

One gene-editing dose suppressed ANGPTL3 in primates for up to three years

A single dose of a CRISPR adenine base editor reduced circulating ANGPTL3 protein by more than 90% in nonhuman primates, with suppression observed for up to three years.1 In mouse and primate models with elevated blood lipids, inactivating ANGPTL3 substantially lowered LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.1

Tests in human liver cells found no detectable unintended edits among about 3,000 candidate genomic sites examined and no treatment-related structural DNA changes.1 Those tests cannot establish long-term safety, and animal results may not predict lasting cholesterol reductions in people.1 VERVE-201, an investigational therapy targeting ANGPTL3, is being tested in a first-in-human trial for severe, treatment-resistant hypercholesterolemia.1

E2F1 can restart cell division without broadly opening packed DNA

University of California, Santa Cruz researchers found that E2F1 can activate cell-cycle genes and prompt dormant cells to divide without widespread changes to chromatin accessibility, or how open DNA is to cellular machinery.2 Removing E2F1’s DNA-binding domain prevented cells from reentering the cell cycle.2

Without additional growth signals, the cells divided no more than three times. E2F1 acted faster than the usual nutrient-dependent route to cell division.2 The researchers said they don’t yet understand how E2F1 activates genes without substantial chromatin changes or how cancers might exploit the process.2

A gait model predicted health traits across most body systems

A model trained on skeletal-motion recordings from 3,328 adults improved predictions for 1,887 of 3,210 health-phenotype targets.4 Participants provided movement data while completing five motor tasks.4

The model improved predictions across all 18 body systems for men and 17 of 18 for women, as well as predictions of diagnoses and medication use.4

Mouse mRNA treatment improved heart function after a heart attack

Mice given an experimental mRNA treatment after a heart attack pumped about 10% more blood per heartbeat than mock-treated animals and showed signs of heart-muscle growth and tissue repair.3 Improved heart function remained evident at follow-ups 28 days and 12 weeks after treatment. The study reported no adverse effects.3

The researchers plan more animal studies while refining the treatment before starting human trials.3

Ulcerative-colitis response patterns tracked with vedolizumab outcomes

Analysis of a 768-participant comparative trial identified four patient-reported response patterns for both vedolizumab and adalimumab.5 In a separate 576-participant trial, vedolizumab response groups were associated with remission at one year and longer-term complications.5

Over seven years, patients in faster-response groups had a lower risk of hospitalization or colectomy than those in slower-response groups, with a hazard ratio of 0.56 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.34 to 0.93.5 Molecular analyses associated vascular inflammation, including interactions between SPP1-positive macrophages and endothelial cells, with vedolizumab nonresponse.5 In two real-world cohorts, renin–angiotensin system inhibitor use alongside vedolizumab was associated with fewer long-term complications. The study authors said prospective validation is needed before using the approach to select combination treatment.5

Also worth knowing

  • B

    A University of Pennsylvania-led team used a placenta-on-a-chip model to find that lower cadmium exposures impaired glucose transfer and hormone production, increased barrier permeability and inflammation, and altered metabolism, even when most cells remained intact.6

  • A review proposed that shifts in cancer-cell states may help childhood tumors spread without first acquiring additional mutations, drawing on evidence from neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, medulloblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.7

  • P

    AbbVie opened an additional 12,000-square-foot Oxford research site for immunology, neuroscience and oncology, as part of more than £120 million in UK research, academic-collaboration and talent-development investment and commitments.8

  • N

    Researchers introduced the DIY Biofabrication Atlas, a public resource organizing open-source biomanufacturing hardware with standardized information on cost, components and performance.9

  • B

    Stanford researchers used heparan sulfate antibodies to investigate how dysregulation of the brain’s endothelial glycocalyx may contribute to blood–brain barrier dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative disease.10

Also published