Verve Therapeutics just pulled off something pretty cool. They tested this gene-editing treatment called VERVE-101 in folks with a family history of heart issues, and guess what? A single infusion did wonders in slashing their cholesterol levels. It’s like a potential game-changer for people prone to clogged arteries and heart attacks.
So, what’s the secret sauce? They used CRISPR, that gene-editing magic you’ve probably heard about. They tinkered with liver genes, basically flipping a switch to “turn off” a gene called PCSK9, notorious for jacking up “bad” cholesterol levels. And guess what? It worked big time. PCSK9 dropped by a whopping 84% in the groups that got a higher dose of the treatment. And get this – the positive effects stuck around for a good 2.5 years, at least in studies on monkeys.
