The University and Pfizer have today launched a new consortium which aims to standardize and accelerate the development of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), allowing potentially transformative treatments to reach patients sooner.

Anew gene editing technique called prime editing, tested in human and mouse cells, rewrites DNA by only cutting a single strand to add, remove, or replace base pairs.

A combination of two experimental drugs appears to slow the decline of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an illness often known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Within a mere eight years, CRISPR-Cas9 has become the go-to genome editor for both basic research and gene therapy. But CRISPR-Cas9 also has spawned other potentially powerful DNA manipulation tools that could help fix genetic mutations responsible for hereditary diseases.

The University of Sheffield has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for innovation in neuroscience
The prize is the highest national honour that recognises outstanding work by UK universities and colleges that demonstrate quality and innovation in their research
Sheffield has been recognised for improving patient outcomes for people living with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease and Motor Neurone Disease

A teenager is in a race against time to raise cash to help scientists find a cure for her rare disorder.
Maddi Thurgood, 15, from Ongar, is thought to be the only person in the UK and one of just 20 worldwide suffering from SPG15 (Spastic Paraplegia Gene 15).
The condition, a type of motor neuron disease, causes paralysis of the limbs, affects vision and hearing and can also cause juvenile Parkinson’s.
Maddi’s family have been contacted by the Gene Therapy Research team at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, one of the world leaders in this area of research.