Researchers develop a new set of genetic tools designed to treat brain diseases
A consortium of researchers, including those from Seattle’s Allen Institute for Brain Science and the University of Washington, created a new molecular toolkit with potential to treat a variety of brain diseases, including epilepsy, sleep disorders and Huntington’s disease.
The toolkit contains more than 1,000 enhancer AAV vectors and is part of a project called the Armamentarium for Precision Brain Cell Access, which is funded through the National Institutes of Health’s BRAIN Initiative. “Honing in on the right cells — in the right way and at the right time — is the future of precision brain medicine,” said John Ngai, director of the BRAIN Initiative. “These tools move us closer to that future, while also expanding what we know about the brain’s cells and circuits today.”
This innovative gene-therapy package further cements the region’s reputation as a leader in advanced neuroscience and gene therapy research.