Ming Xu's guest appearances

Ming Xu

Finding Genius Podcast

FutureTech Podcast

Women in Economics

J Scott

Bill Barhydt

Whitney Johnson

Alex Mashinsky

Ross Ulbricht

Lyn Ulbricht

Jameson Lopp

Marco Peereboom

Megan Ramos

Danny Flood

Abel James

Nir Eyal

Perry Marshall

Scott Young

Ben Goertzel

OwlTail

Ellen McGrattan

Kathleen McKiernan

Emily Moschini

“I do think very passionately that economics is a great gig,” says Ellen McGrattan, professor of economics at the University of Minnesota. She discusses economics with three of her former students: Kathleen McKiernan, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University; Emily Moschini, assistant professor at the College of William and Mary; and Ming Xu, assistant professor at Queens University.

“I do think very passionately that economics is a great gig,” says Ellen McGrattan, professor of economics at the University of Minnesota. She discusses economics with three of her former students: Kathleen McKiernan, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University; Emily Moschini, assistant professor at the College of William and Mary; and Ming Xu, assistant professor at Queens University.

Women in Economics: Ellen McGrattan, Kathleen McKiernan, Emily Moschini and Ming Xu

Despite the widely used and highly addictive nature of cocaine, as well as the ever-present threat of lethal overdose, there’s still no FDA-approved medication for treating cocaine abuse, which results in many cocaine addicts being turned away from treatment centers and hospitals and never receiving the care they need. But recent findings by researchers Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu at the University of Chicago might indicate a promising solution—one that could forever change the future of how cocaine addiction is handled.   After the identification of a naturally-occurring cocaine-degrading enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), Wu and Xu began developing a method that combines CRISPR gene editing and skin grafting to produce “cocaine-proof” laboratory mice—mice that are incapable of developing cocaine addiction, relapsing into cocaine use, and overdosing on cocaine. CRISPR is a revolutionary new tool for gene editing that allows for a cell’s genome to be edited with precision and without affecting other genes. Wu and Xu’s procedure begins with the removal of a small piece of skin from a donor mouse, followed by the use of CRISPR to introduce BChE-producing genes into the skin cells within the piece of skin and then grafting that patch of skin back onto the same donor mouse. These genetically modified skin cells produce sufficient amounts of BChE to enter the mouse’s circulatory system and degrade cocaine faster than it can accumulate, and therefore faster than it can cause addiction, overdose, or relapse. Wu and Xu provide a wealth of information on the science behind these processes and the potentially significant impact of these findings on the future of addiction medicine. Tune in to hear the full conversation. 

Despite the widely used and highly addictive nature of cocaine, as well as the ever-present threat of lethal overdose, there’s still no FDA-approved medication for treating cocaine abuse, which results in many cocaine addicts being turned away from treatment centers and hospitals and never receiving the care they need. But recent findings by researchers Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu at the University of Chicago might indicate a promising solution—one that could forever change the future of how cocaine addiction is handled.   After the identification of a naturally-occurring cocaine-degrading enzyme called butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), Wu and Xu began developing a method that combines CRISPR gene editing and skin grafting to produce “cocaine-proof” laboratory mice—mice that are incapable of developing cocaine addiction, relapsing into cocaine use, and overdosing on cocaine. CRISPR is a revolutionary new tool for gene editing that allows for a cell’s genome to be edited with precision and without affecting other genes. Wu and Xu’s procedure begins with the removal of a small piece of skin from a donor mouse, followed by the use of CRISPR to introduce BChE-producing genes into the skin cells within the piece of skin and then grafting that patch of skin back onto the same donor mouse. These genetically modified skin cells produce sufficient amounts of BChE to enter the mouse’s circulatory system and degrade cocaine faster than it can accumulate, and therefore faster than it can cause addiction, overdose, or relapse. Wu and Xu provide a wealth of information on the science behind these processes and the potentially significant impact of these findings on the future of addiction medicine. Tune in to hear the full conversation.

Cracking the Puzzle of Cocaine Addiction in Mice Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu—University of Chicago

Addiction, relapse, and acute overdose are the three core features of cocaine abuse, and researchers have figured out a way to make lab mice completely immune to them. How is this possible? Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu are researchers at the University of Chicago who have joined forces to tackle the problem of cocaine addiction, for which there is currently no FDA-approved treatment.   The key to their method involves the naturally-occurring cocaine-degrading enzyme known as butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), CRISPR gene editing, and skin grafting. The procedure involves removing a patch of skin from a donor mouse, genetically modifying the skin cells within that patch of skin to produce high amounts of BChE, and then grafting those genetically-modified skin cells back onto the same mouse. Once the enzyme hits the bloodstream, it reaches every location in the body that requires a blood supply, and therefore reaches the central reward center where cocaine addiction develops. By degrading cocaine faster than it can accumulate in the mouse’s system, the high levels of this enzyme protect the mouse from cocaine overdose, addiction, and relapse. Wu and Xu offer fascinating and informative insight on what could potentially be the first-ever FDA-approved treatment for cocaine addiction.   Press play for all the details. 

Addiction, relapse, and acute overdose are the three core features of cocaine abuse, and researchers have figured out a way to make lab mice completely immune to them. How is this possible? Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu are researchers at the University of Chicago who have joined forces to tackle the problem of cocaine addiction, for which there is currently no FDA-approved treatment. The key to their method involves the naturally-occurring cocaine-degrading enzyme known as butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), CRISPR gene editing, and skin grafting. The procedure involves removing a patch of skin from a donor mouse, genetically modifying the skin cells within that patch of skin to produce high amounts of BChE, and then grafting those genetically-modified skin cells back onto the same mouse. Once the enzyme hits the bloodstream, it reaches every location in the body that requires a blood supply, and therefore reaches the central reward center where cocaine addiction develops. By degrading cocaine faster than it can accumulate in the mouse’s system, the high levels of this enzyme protect the mouse from cocaine overdose, addiction, and relapse. Wu and Xu offer fascinating and informative insight on what could potentially be the first-ever FDA-approved treatment for cocaine addiction. Press play for all the details.

CRISPR Gene Editing and Cocaine-Proof Mice—Xiaoyang Wu and Ming Xu—University of Chicago