December 11, 2023: The first U.S. CRISPR medicine is approved, a dark matter experiment takes over a gold mine and Betelgeuse will disappear tonight. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | Landmark Genetic Treatment | On December 8 the FDA approved the first CRISPR treatment for sickle cell disease. In sickle cell anemia, a genetic mutation causes a hemoglobin protein to twist normally round red blood cells into a curved sickle shape. These sickled cells clog blood vessels, leading to severe pain and fatigue. In the new treatment, the gene editing system CRISPR targets and snips the DNA of a specific gene called BCL11A in bone marrow stem cells. With the gene deactivated, the stem cells produce a healthy form of hemoglobin that makes round red blood cells. It appears to functionally cure the disease for at least one year.
Why this matters: Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disorder affecting more than 100,000 people in the U.S. and 20 million people worldwide. Until now the only cure was a bone marrow transplant (which can trigger immune rejections). In addition, this new treatment is the first approved use of CRISPR technology in the U.S. to treat a medical disorder in humans.
What the experts say: The medicine is "an incredible asset to have," says Michael DeBaun, a hematologist at Vanderbilt University. The FDA fast-tracked the treatment, meaning it was tested in smaller groups than the typical medicine. Treatment trials are still ongoing. | | | The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is a dark matter detector located a mile underground in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Scientists retrofitted a former gold mine in the town of Lead to install the experiment's equipment. At the heart of the installation is a chamber holding 10 metric tons of liquid xenon. Scientists predict that as particles of dark matter stream through the planet, some might interact with the xenon molecules in the chamber, creating a small flash of light. Glimpse the flash of light and you may have caught a dark matter particle in action.
How it works: Capturing any dark matter signal is like "trying to hear a pin drop at a massive rock concert," as the experiment press team describes it. So, "placing the experiment nearly a mile underground helps dampen any background noise," says David Woodward, assistant research professor at Pennsylvania State University who coordinates the planning for the detector runs.
Why this is interesting: The former gold mine was the largest and deepest in the Western Hemisphere and employed more than 2,000 workers. The new lab employs about 200 staff and hasn't brought the economic vitality to the region that the mine once did. Scientific American video editor Carin Leong created a fascinating short film about the relationship between the town residents and the dark matter lab. I recommend it. | | | Employees at LUX-ZEPLIN experiment head down into a former gold mine to listen for a signal from dark matter. | | | • For six seconds tonight, the red star Betelgeuse will appear to blink off while an asteroid passes between it and Earth. | 5 min read | | | De Winton's golden mole was rediscovered in November 2023 through environmental DNA tracking after not being sighted since 1937. Credit: JP Le Roux | | | • The recent FDA announcement that it was proposing a ban on hair relaxers that contain formaldehyde and compounds that off-gas formaldehyde is a positive step for protecting Black women's health. But it's only the first step, writes Amanda Joy Calhoun, a psychiatry resident at Yale School of Medicine. State CROWN acts, which forbid workplace racism based on natural hair texture and protective hairstyles such as locs or braids, should be made federal, she says. | 5 min read | | | If you're shopping for books this month, or planning your 2024 reading list, check out these recommended reads from Scientific American staffers. We read far more than science this year, so there's something on the list for everyone. By far the best book I read in 2023 was "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a brilliant re-telling of David Copperfield, set in coal country West Virginia during the onset of the opioid epidemic 20 years ago. | What were your favorite books this year? I'm always adding recommendations to my list. Send them and any other feedback to: newsletters@sciam.com. See you tomorrow. | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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