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Sophia Genetics' SECRAM

Sophia Genetics and collaborators at Stanford University and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne have released a new privacy technology for securely storing compressed, aligned genomic data and clinical data. According to the developers, the solution uses 18 percent less storage than existing methods and prevents unsolicited use of personal data by unauthorized parties. Full details of the technology, named Selective retrieval on Encrypted and Compressed Reference-oriented Alignment Map (SECRAM), are provided in a paper that was published recently in Genome Research. The partners have also made the software available on github.

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.