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Managing HIV in Africa

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a microfluidic device that can be used as an alternative to flow cytometry for measuring T cell counts in people infected with HIV. They hope that the small handheld device will help Africans — it will first be tested in Rwanda — in poor regions to better manage their disease. The device consists of a chip lined with a channel, on which are spotted molecules that bind to CD4, a protein found on T cells; a simple light microscope then counts the cells.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.