Latest news with #Sadeghi
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
IVF parents are spending thousands to predict their babies' chances of having Alzheimer's, cancer and heart disease
Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's … genetic optimization? Prospective parents using in vitro fertilization (IVF) will soon be able to select embryos based on their potential risk for diseases — including illnesses that develop later in life — thanks to a groundbreaking $5,999 service announced this week by a US biotech company. 'Before there's a heartbeat, there's DNA,' Kian Sadeghi, founder and chief executive of Nucleus Genomics, said in a statement. 'One file containing DNA and genetic markers can tell you more about your baby's future than any other test a doctor could possibly run at this stage.' The popular fertility treatment involves removing eggs from a woman's ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a lab. The resulting embryo — which could be frozen or fresh — is placed into the uterus, where it hopefully implants in the uterine wall and sparks a pregnancy. Before implantation, many IVF clinics already screen embryos for genetic abnormalities — such as extra chromosomes or gene mutations — that can lead to failed implantations, miscarriages, birth defects or inherited disorders. But the first-of-its-kind service from Nucleus Genomics takes things a step further. The company just launched Nucleus Embryo, a new software platform that lets potential parents dig deep into the full genetic blueprint of their embryos before choosing which one to implant. The tool lets IVF patients compare the DNA of up to 20 embryos, screening them for more than 900 conditions — including Alzheimer's, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and several forms of cancer. It doesn't stop there. The program also flags potential mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia and even ranks cognitive traits like IQ. Parents can also get a look at cosmetic and physical features, from height, baldness and BMI to eye and hair color. The company isn't promising perfection. Instead, the software generates a so-called polygenic risk score that will give parents the probability of how likely it is an embryo might develop certain traits or diseases. Ultimately, it's up to the parents to decide which qualities matter most to them. For those looking to decode the results, genetic counseling sessions are available. 'Lifespan has dramatically increased in the last 150 years,' Sadeghi told the Wall Street Journal. 'DNA testing to predict and reduce chronic disease can make it happen again.' The practice, known as polygenic embryo screening, is already highly controversial in the medical world, according to a report published by Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center. Critics warn that allowing parents to screen embryos for risks like depression or diabetes could deepen stigma and discrimination against people living with those conditions. Meanwhile, disability advocates argue it promotes the harmful idea that disability is something to be fixed, not a natural part of human diversity. And when it comes to choosing embryos for traits like intelligence or athleticism, critics say we're sliding into designer baby territory — a modern form of eugenics that favors the rich, reinforcing social and healthcare inequalities. Still, the public appears open to some aspects of the tech. A 2023 survey found that 77% of Americans support using it to screen embryos for the likelihood of developing certain physical conditions, while 72% back screening for mental health risks. Proponents argue it's no different from vaccination — a preventive tool, not a judgment on those with the condition. But when it comes to non-medical traits, support drops fast: only 36% back screening embryos for behavioral traits and just 30% for physical features like height or eye color.
The Star
06-05-2025
- The Star
Iran-born engineer denied bail ahead of US trial tied to drone strike
Mahdi Sadeghi, a dual U.S.-Iranian national, appears in an 2024 photo that federal prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., obtained from his phone and included in a court filing on January 13, 2025 that depicts Sadeghi with two other individuals, including Mohammad Abedini. U.S. Department of Justice/Handout via REUTERS BOSTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge declined on Tuesday to allow an Iranian-born engineer to be released on bail while he awaits trial on charges related to a deadly drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan carried out by Iran-backed militants last year. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ruled that the risk that Mahdi Sadeghi might flee was too great to allow him to be released on bond while he awaited trial on charges that he engaged in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws. "The seriousness of the charges and the weight of the evidence against Sadeghi give him incentive to flee if he is released, and Sadeghi's dual citizenship and connections to Iran give him the means to do so," she wrote. The decision overturned a federal magistrate judge's determination in March that Sadeghi, a resident of Natick, Massachusetts, could be released on a $100,000 bond so long as he was subject to home incarceration with location monitoring. Prosecutors had initially been open to a potential bail package for Sadeghi. But they shifted in mid-January to pushing for his continued detention after the Italian government released his co-defendant, Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini, and allowed him to return to Iran. That occurred after Iran released an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Tehran three days after the men were arrested. Prosecutors argued the events signaled Iran might take steps to help Sadeghi flee. A lawyer for Sadeghi did not respond to a request for comment. Sadeghi had pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege that Abedini headed an Iranian firm whose primary client was Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that made the navigation system used in its military drone program. That system was used in an unmanned drone that struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan called Tower 22 in January 2024, prosecutors said. The attack killed three U.S. service members and injured 47 others. Sadeghi, while working at the semiconductor company Analog Devices in Massachusetts, helped Abedini secure technology that was transferred to Iran, prosecutors alleged. The technology Abedini obtained included the same type of electronic components used in the drone navigation system, prosecutors said. Iran has denied involvement in last year's attack and had dismissed accusations that it imprisoned Sala to pressure Italy into releasing Abedini. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Straits Times
Iran-born engineer denied bail ahead of US trial tied to drone strike
Mahdi Sadeghi, a dual U.S.-Iranian national, appears in an 2024 photo that federal prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., obtained from his phone and included in a court filing on January 13, 2025 that depicts Sadeghi with two other individuals, including Mohammad Abedini. U.S. Department of Justice/Handout via REUTERS BOSTON - A U.S. judge declined on Tuesday to allow an Iranian-born engineer to be released on bail while he awaits trial on charges related to a deadly drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan carried out by Iran-backed militants last year. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ruled that the risk that Mahdi Sadeghi might flee was too great to allow him to be released on bond while he awaited trial on charges that he engaged in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws. "The seriousness of the charges and the weight of the evidence against Sadeghi give him incentive to flee if he is released, and Sadeghi's dual citizenship and connections to Iran give him the means to do so," she wrote. The decision overturned a federal magistrate judge's determination in March that Sadeghi, a resident of Natick, Massachusetts, could be released on a $100,000 bond so long as he was subject to home incarceration with location monitoring. Prosecutors had initially been open to a potential bail package for Sadeghi. But they shifted in mid-January to pushing for his continued detention after the Italian government released his co-defendant, Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini, and allowed him to return to Iran. That occurred after Iran released an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Tehran three days after the men were arrested. Prosecutors argued the events signaled Iran might take steps to help Sadeghi flee. A lawyer for Sadeghi did not respond to a request for comment. Sadeghi had pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege that Abedini headed an Iranian firm whose primary client was Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and that made the navigation system used in its military drone program. That system was used in an unmanned drone that struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan called Tower 22 in January 2024, prosecutors said. The attack killed three U.S. service members and injured 47 others. Sadeghi, while working at the semiconductor company Analog Devices in Massachusetts, helped Abedini secure technology that was transferred to Iran, prosecutors alleged. The technology Abedini obtained included the same type of electronic components used in the drone navigation system, prosecutors said. Iran has denied involvement in last year's attack and had dismissed accusations that it imprisoned Sala to pressure Italy into releasing Abedini. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These are the people who want to buy 23andMe
Spit into a test tube, send it to Silicon Valley, then sit back and wait for information about your ancestry and genetic health risks. For more than 15 million people, taking a 23andMe test once seemed like a good idea. For around 80% of customers, their interaction with the company went even further—they opted to have their data used in health research. That's how 23andMe amassed one of the largest DNA databases in the world, with ambitions to see all those DNA strands one day deliver new medical breakthroughs. But many 23andMe customers began to rethink the wisdom of sharing DNA with the company in 2023, when hackers broke into its database and accessed detailed information about nearly 7 million people. Then, last week, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy, triggering an all-out panic and warnings that customers should delete their data from the site before its assets are sold. Amid calls for stepped-up regulation over how private companies use personal data, 23andMe has attempted to reassure customers that it's doing all it can to keep their data from falling into the wrong hands. In an open letter, it wrote that the Chapter 11 filing 'does not change how we store, manage, or protect customer data' and vowed that privacy will be 'important considerations in any transaction.' But that hasn't stopped speculation about where the data might land after a May 14 auction. On March 31, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission weighed in, writing a letter to the agency that oversees bankruptcies saying that whoever buys 23andMe should be bound by the same privacy agreement as the company's existing policy. Among other things, the company has promised customers that it will not share any information with employers or health insurance companies unless it has their written consent. So far, only a few interested parties have made it known publicly that they're interested in buying 23andMe, along with its its massive dataset. Here's a look at four potential buyers: Nucleus is a whole-genome testing company based in New York and is backed by investors such as Peter Thiel–led Founders Fund and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian. Nucleus CEO Kian Sadeghi first floated the possibility of buying 23andMe several months ago and is revisiting the idea now that the company has filed for bankruptcy. Sadeghi calls Nucleus the Netflix to 23andMe's Blockbuster, suggesting it's the next iteration of genome testing because it covers whole genomes using newer technology. On its website, Nucleus states that all of its customer data 'will be used and shared in compliance with HIPAA requirements.' Nucleus offers customers $400 tests that it says can identify health risks for more than 900 conditions. But the company also attracted controversy for launching and defending Nucleus IQ, a test that looks at genetic markers connected with higher levels of intelligence. Sadeghi tells Fortune that he's most drawn not to 23andMe's data, but to Lemonaid, the telehealth company that 23andMe bought in 2021. He wants to start integrating genome testing with a health care practice, something 23andMe had just begun to do. 'There's a much larger opportunity here to, first and foremost, realize the power of the genome,' Sadeghi says. The Sei Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to driving adoption of the Sei high-speed blockchain platform, says it sees an opportunity in 23andMe's bankruptcy to demonstrate how blockchains and decentralized networks could be used for more than just cryptocurrency transactions. The foundation is an advocate for DeSci, short for decentralized science, a movement to make scientific research more transparent and collaborative. In a post on X, it recently described a vision for buying 23andMe, putting its millions of data points on the blockchain, and returning it to its original owners 'through encrypted, confidential transfers.' The organization says its plan would allow people to control 'how their data is monetized and share in the revenue.' Eleanor Davies, head of DeSci at the Sei Foundation, says the organization sees itself as the perfect 23andMe buyer when it comes to protecting data privacy and combining 'the ethics of the decentralized science movement' with 23andMe's rich data. Justin Barlow, head of business development, adds that this application would be fully compliant with health data and privacy laws. 'The legal issues involved are not specific to whether or not the data is stored on chain, and the current policy requires notice and new approvals from customers in the event of a sale of assets or change in control,' said Gerald Gallagher, general counsel for the foundation. Ryan Sitton, cofounder and CEO of analytics company Pinnacle, was bullish on buying 23andMe before it filed for bankruptcy. In an online post addressing the company's shareholders, he said he would purchase the genetics testing company for $100 million, far more than an offer from former CEO Anne Wojcicki that was then before the company. 'We believe that our algorithms combined with your data can give people more insight into their long-term health than ever before,' he wrote. Sitton, an entrepreneur, engineer, and former elected Republican politician who was commissioner of the Texas Railroad Commission, did not submit a formal offer at that time, but he told Fortune that he sees a huge opportunity for the U.S. to reduce health care costs by using genetic testing. Giving people information about their health risks allows them to focus on prevention, he said, adding, 'I think this is this kind of thing that could change the world.' Since 23andMe's bankruptcy, a spokesperson for Pinnacle has said the private company is 'discussing our path forward and still has serious interest' in the data tester. Anne Wojcicki, a cofounder of 23andMe and its former CEO, stepped down on the same day that the biotech filed for bankruptcy. But she made it clear that she wasn't exactly leaving. Instead, she still hopes to resuscitate the company by buying it herself. 'I have resigned as CEO of the company so I can be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder,' she wrote. A spokesperson for Wojcicki declined to offer any further comment. Wojcicki led 23andMe for 19 years and is seen as a pioneer in genetic medicine. However, the once $6 billion company never became profitable. The ex-CEO has tried to buy the company twice before. Her first foray into going private, with a proposal the board deemed too low and not properly financed, ended when all seven of her former board members quit on the same day. In early March, Wojcicki put together a second proposal to buy the company and presented it to her new, smaller board. That bid was also rejected. 'We have had many successes, but I equally take accountability for the challenges we have today,' Wojcicki wrote in her post the day she resigned. 'There is no doubt that the challenges faced by 23andMe through an evolving business model have been real, but my belief in the company and its future is unwavering.' This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After US election, Kremlin propagandist sets sights on German vote
From a fabricated sex scandal to a fake museum heist, disinformation aimed at influencing Germany's high-stakes election is originating from dozens of AI-generated German sites apparently linked to a US fugitive turned Kremlin propagandist, researchers say. John Dougan runs a network of more than 100 such fake sites, which mimic German media outlets, mirroring a disinformation tactic used during the American election last year, according to researchers at the German nonprofit Correctiv and the US watchdog NewsGuard. The sites by the former Florida deputy sheriff, who fled to Russia while facing a slew of charges including extortion, are flooding the internet with content favourable to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. They also target mainstream parties such as Germany's Greens, whose support for Ukraine and NATO is in direct contradiction with Russian geopolitical interests. "Dougan's case demonstrates how the Kremlin is increasingly leveraging non-Russian nationals and Western fugitives to spread propaganda, obscuring their direct involvement and evading detection," NewsGuard analyst McKenzie Sadeghi told AFP. "Dougan's apparent efforts in Germany recycle the same tactics he used in disinformation efforts during the US election." One of the sites called "Echo der Zeit", (Echo of Time), falsely claimed that Green party candidate Robert Habeck sexually abused a woman. The claim, Sadeghi said, bore similarities to Dougan's campaign last year that falsely accused the former US vice-presidential contender Tim Walz of sexually assaulting a student. Another falsehood planted on a site in Dougan's network was that Germany plans to import 1.9 million Kenyan workers, a narrative that seeks to boost the AfD's anti-immigrant sentiment. The claim was also splashed across African news sites, an old trick Sadeghi said was used to obscure its Russian origin. - 'Large network' - Researchers spotlighted another false claim of a 100 million euro ($105 million) corruption scandal involving missing paintings at the Berlin art museum Gemaldegalerie, which sought to implicate German politicians such as Habeck and Claudia Roth. Dougan denies any involvement with any Russian entity, calling the assertions "made up". "I find the Russian government to be rather useless for anything, a bunch of idiot bureaucrats who never get anything done. So, I don't know why everyone thinks I work for them," he told NewsGuard in a text message last month. Dougan, who once served in the US Marines, has long claimed to be working independently of the Russian government. But Western intelligence officials and disinformation researchers have linked Dougan with a Russian influence operation dubbed Storm-1516. "From what we have observed so far, their (Storm-1516's) current approach appears to be as follows: Create a large network of fake media outlets, all of which would be updated regularly with AI-generated filler articles, then activate them by one at a time when required for a specific campaign," said the Gnida Project, an anonymous research group tracking Russian influence operations. - 'Front man' - European intelligence documents cited by US media describe Dougan as a prolific Kremlin propagandist who is paid and directed by the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service. "Dougan is playing the front man role in this operation," a Gnida Project member told AFP. Germany's security services have warned that Russia and its sympathisers could step up meddling and disinformation to boost extremist parties and sow doubt about the democratic process. Media investigations have pointed to Kremlin-linked efforts to support not just the AfD but also boost the Russia-friendly views of the far-left Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). Germany's interior ministry has set up a taskforce to take "necessary protection measures" against any disinformation, sabotage, espionage and cyber-attacks. Researchers say a German government less aligned with NATO and Ukraine and more skeptical of European integration would be beneficial to Moscow's geopolitical strategy. As the election approaches, Dougan appears poised to release more disinformation and polarising narratives. However, his efforts with Germany were struggling to achieve the same traction as his campaigns in the United States, where his claims garnered tens of millions of views and targeted high-profile politicians. "Unlike the US, where he was more attuned to the political climate and knew what narratives would resonate, Dougan's apparent lack of familiarity with German cultural and political nuances, coupled with a playbook that has been repeatedly exposed, has made his campaigns easier to identify and dismiss," Sadeghi said. burs-ac/yad
