University of Barcelona

Stories

DNA hairpin therapy targets the gene behind high cholesterol

As of May 2026: Lead institution on the PPRH platform and HpE12 molecule

For two decades, lowering LDL cholesterol meant statins—daily pills that work for most but leave roughly one in five patients with muscle pain or liver enzyme changes severe enough to quit. On May 1, researchers from the University of Barcelona and Oregon Health & Science University reported that engineered DNA reduced LDL by nearly 50 percent in mice. A single injection of this engineered DNA molecule silences the gene controlling how the liver clears LDL.

Updated May 31

Genomic study reveals predictable patterns in how animals conquered land

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Partner institution for study

In 1989, paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould argued that if you could rewind evolution and play it again, the results would be utterly different—humanity was a cosmic accident. A study published in Nature on November 12, 2025 offers the most comprehensive counterargument yet. It shows that 11 different animal lineages independently crawled out of the water across 487 million years and repeatedly evolved the same genetic solutions.

Updated May 27