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Cyprus and Israel Join Forces For Groundbreaking Gene Editing Project

by News Editor

March 31, 2025

The Molecular Genetics Thalassaemia Department at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics (CING) has launched EDIT-4-IRON, an ambitious genome editing initiative aimed at transforming treatments for iron-related blood disorders.

Backed by a €200,000 grant under the “RESTART 2016–2020, Bilateral Collaborations” program from the Research and Innovation Foundation, this 36-month project strengthens scientific ties between Cyprus and Israel while reinforcing both nations’ positions as leaders in genetic and haematological research.

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A Pioneering Collaboration

Led by Dr. Carsten W. Lederer, Head of the MGTD and Associate Professor at CING, the Cypriot team includes haematologist Dr. Panayiota L. Papasavva and gene editing expert Dr. Petros Patsali. On the Israeli side, gene editing specialist Dr. Ayal Hendel, a professor at Bar-Ilan University (BIU), spearheads the project.

Both institutions bring extensive expertise to the table. CING, the national reference laboratory for rare anaemia research and diagnosis in Cyprus, has been at the forefront of gene therapy innovations. BIU, meanwhile, holds multiple patents in editing technology and is a national leader in advanced therapy medicinal product development for blood disorders.

Training The Next Generation

Beyond its scientific breakthroughs, EDIT-4-IRON will provide cutting-edge training opportunities. The project supports two PhD students—one in Cyprus (Azzam Mohamed Ahmed Abdelfattah) and one in Israel—alongside an MSc student in Israel, offering them hands-on experience in gene therapy technologies and international networking prospects.

A Revolutionary Approach To Iron Disorders

EDIT-4-IRON aims to revolutionise treatments for inherited and acquired iron-related haematological disorders (IHDs), such as transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia, non-transfusion-dependent thalassaemia, hereditary haemochromatosis, and polycythaemia vera. These conditions, often marked by iron overload or ineffective erythropoiesis, currently rely on small-molecule therapies that require lifelong administration and come with significant side effects.

By leveraging CRISPR/Cas and base editing technologies, researchers aim to create gene knockouts that induce an iron-restrictive state, potentially offering a long-term therapeutic alternative for thousands of patients worldwide.

A Data-Driven Approach

The project will rigorously evaluate the safety and efficacy of these gene-editing strategies through ex vivo and in vivo testing, using primary patient samples from Cyprus, cell lines, and murine disease models. This approach ensures that any breakthroughs can be translated into real-world clinical applications.

Setting the Stage For Innovation

EDIT-4-IRON officially kicked off on May 26, 2025, with a meeting between the Cypriot and Israeli teams to define collaboration frameworks, project milestones, and deliverables. With its combination of groundbreaking science, international cooperation, and a commitment to patient-centric innovation, this project marks a significant step forward in the fight against iron-related blood disorders.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

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Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.