Study provides insights on the effects of cannabidiol on severe form of epilepsy

Results from a study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology may help explain why cannabidiol–a chemical component of marijuana with no psychoactive properties–reduces the frequency of seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy. The effect may be explained by a drug-drug interaction between cannabidiol and the anti-seizure medication clobazam. The form…

Modified CRISPR gene editing tool could improve therapies for HIV, sickle cell disease

DUARTE, Calif. — City of Hope researchers may have found a way to sharpen the fastest, cheapest and most accurate gene editing technique, CRISPR-Cas9, so that it can more successfully cut out undesirable genetic information. This improved cutting ability could one day fast-track potential therapies for HIV, sickle cell disease and, potentially, other immune conditions.…

For first time, potential treatment path becomes clear for subtype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

LA JOLLA, CA – An unexpected finding from the Scripps Research laboratory of Xiang-Lei Yang, PhD, has illuminated a potential strategy for treating the inherited neurological disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), for which there is no approved medicine today. CMT is a progressive disease that typically develops early in life, affecting roughly 1 in 2,500 people. Over…