Type 2 diabetes is marked by insulin resistance coupled with insufficient insulin secretion due to early β-cell dysfunction and progressive loss of β-cell mass. Pdx1 and MafA, critical for maintaining β-cell function, are progressively reduced under metabolic stress and in patients, driving disease progression. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have reported efficacy data demonstrating successful pancreatic delivery of GPX-002, an AAV-Pdx1/MafA construct, in HFD mice.

The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator (OTXL) have announced the public launch of CGTxchange, an AI-enhanced clearinghouse and marketplace built to help reactivate cell and gene therapy programs that have been shelved despite strong scientific and clinical evidence.

Directed evolution has become a central pillar in gene therapy. This engineering strategy enables the generation of more efficient variants of genetic editors and delivery vectors. Molecular diversification methods are increasingly sophisticated and are now accelerated by machine learning and AI tools, as showcased at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) held in Boston this week.

How the U.S. FDA might view the latest Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) phase III data with gene therapy RGX-202 became the question for Regenxbio Inc., shares of which  (NASDAQ:RGNX) closed May 14 at $6.25, down 38%, or $3.80, after the results were made public.

Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd. and Vanotech Ltd. have announced IND clearance by the FDA for KHN-921 for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) associated with MYBPC3 mutations.

Gene therapies rely on vectors to reach the target tissue where they act, such as adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), among other delivery strategies. Each combination is optimized for a specific cell type and indication, aiming to overcome challenges such as efficacy, specificity and toxicity. On May 13, 2026, two sessions included in the scientific symposia of the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT), being held in Boston this week, addressed AAV-related toxicities, which have led to fatal cases in clinical trials and remain an area for improvement in approved therapies.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is not a new concept, but it is a novel strategy in the field of gene and cell therapy. While mRNA vaccines have revolutionized medicine, this RNA fragment without free ends surpasses their performance in both efficacy and durability, bringing it to the attention of several pioneering companies. The latest advances in circRNA presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) clearly surpass the performance achieved with linear mRNA.

Researchers from Beacon Therapeutics Holdings Ltd. reported the development of BTX-001, an intravitreal gene therapy designed to target the complement pathway through delivery of a C5 inhibitor.

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has opened a consultation on changes it is proposing to the legal definition of gene therapies, to reflect the advances in technology and manufacturing over the two decades since the current legislation was drawn up. The aim is to correct the mismatch between regulatory terminology and modern science, which MHRA says “can lead to uncertainty” over how a product is classified and to “inconsistent oversight and potential barriers for developers."

Fractyl Health Inc. has received clinical trial application authorization in the Netherlands to initiate a first-in-human phase I/II study of RJVA-001, the first clinical candidate from the company’s Rejuva Smart GLP-1 gene therapy platform.