News

From 6.9. we are vaccinating again for Covid-19

From 6.9.2024 we are vaccinating against Covid-19 again. We vaccinate with the latest vaccine Comirnaty JN.1, which can be administered from the age of 12 years (inclusive). This vaccine can be administered after any other vaccine against Covid-19. The minimum interval from the last dose is 3 months.

CRISPR editor can also be used for RNA editing

Research into RNA editing could enable treatments for genetic diseases. Researchers at Montana State University have shown how the CRISPR technique can also be used to edit RNA. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a type of immune system bacteria use to recognise and fight viruses. This system has been used for years to cut and edit DNA, but the deployment of similar technology for RNA is new. A CRISPR protein called Cas9 is used to edit DNA, while a different CRISPR system is needed for RNA; the researchers tried a subsystem known as type III.

Modern treatment of cystic fibrosis will be covered by VZP for children from the age of two

Kaftrio for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis will now be available to children as young as two. Until now, it has only been given to patients over six. The extension of the indication was approved at the end of last year by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic (VZP ČR) is now, in agreement with the professional society, lowering the age limit for its clients in the Czech Republic. The extension of the indication criteria comes less than two years after VZP started to cover the medicine Kaftrio for children over six years of age after meeting the given conditions. VZP has been reimbursing the drug to patients over 12 years of age since June 2021.

We published an article with other experts on neurofibromatosis

Dr. Veronika Krulišová contributed to the article (case report) together with other experts on the topic: Neurofibromatosis, type 1: orthopaedic treatment of pseudoarthrosis of the fibula in a Czech girl, which was published in the scientific journal Pohybové ústrojí (No. 2/2023).

On this issue's front page, you will find photographs from our molecular genetics laboratory GHC Genetics, accompanied by a short article, ANALYSIS OF DNA SAMPLES BY MASSIVE PARALLEL SEQUENCING, in the editorial section.