Joanna Gaines is making her return to television, but this time she'll be doing things without her husband, Chip
The design expert has announced plans for a new series called Mini Reni
which will air on the couple's Magnolia Network
The show will showcase Gaines' in her natural element: Revamping old
tired spaces without the giant renovation aspect — which is why Chip won't be involved in the project
“What I love about Mini Reni is the freedom to go all-in on just one or two smaller spaces,” the Fixer Upper star tells Variety
“These aren’t whole-house renovations
so the heart behind the show is to inspire people to design their home gradually
"so that instead of having to wrap your mind around the million details that go into a bigger renovation
you can enjoy the process of creating beauty by narrowing in
and embracing the small details that really tell your story."
Mini Reni will follow Gaines as she takes on several miniature makeover projects that come with a tight deadline
"With only a week to transform three rooms, she faces the clock and a tight budget in each thrilling episode," the show's description reads
"Can she rejuvenate these tired spaces with her signature touch
Watch as Joanna breathes new life into every nook and cranny
masterfully combining elegance with affordability."
These projects will not need big "Demo Days" like Fixer Upper was known for
therefore Chip won't be involved in the renovation process
that doesn't mean Joanna's family members won't pop up on screen occasionally
The Gaines family — including their five children — were a big part of the couples' first series
Mini Reni is set to premiere on May 14 on Magnolia Network
Fans can also access the series on the Magnolia app
a single season with nine episodes has been filmed
with each installment airing weekly on Wednesdays at 8PM ET
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
She won't need Chip for this one.\nRead More
Joanna Gaines is making her return to television, but this time she'll be doing things without her husband, Chip
The design expert has announced plans for a new series called Mini Reni
“What I love about Mini Reni is the freedom to go all-in on just one or two smaller spaces,” the Fixer Upper star tells Variety
"With only a week to transform three rooms, she faces the clock and a tight budget in each thrilling episode," the show's description reads. "Can she rejuvenate these tired spaces with her signature touch? Watch as Joanna breathes new life into every nook and cranny, masterfully combining elegance with affordability."
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magnolia Network (@magnolianetwork)
The Magnolia Network founder has a new solo series premiering May 14
and PEOPLE is sharing the trailer exclusively
Mackenzie Schmidt is the Home and Travel Editor for PEOPLE
She's worked at PEOPLE for over five years as a writer and editor on the Lifestyle team
By Uwa Ede-OsifoBreaking Features Reporter
which will air on Max and Magnolia Network on Wednesdays beginning May 14
The nine-episode series finds the Waco-based interior designer riding solo and operating on a smaller scale than in Fixer Upper
the home makeover show that made her and husband
so the heart behind the show is to inspire people to design their home gradually,” Gaines said in a Wednesday statement
“Instead of having to wrap your mind around the million details that go into a bigger renovation
and embracing the small details that really tell your story.”
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Mini Reni’s pilot aired in 2023. For that episode, Gaines renovated three rooms with a budget under $15,000.
In an Instagram post Wednesday, she shared the origins of Mini Reni.
“A few years ago, I helped a friend with a small, quick renovation that we called Mini Reni. It was so much fun that we started doing more and more of these smaller sized projects all over Waco, and eventually made it into a show!” she wrote in the caption.
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"Instead of having to wrap your mind around the million details that go into a bigger renovation
and embracing the small details that really tell your story."
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will present updated safety and efficacy data in 28 patients living with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) treated with renizgamglogene autogedtemcel (reni-cel; formerly known as EDIT-301) in the Phase 1/2/3 RUBY clinical trial
Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation
during a poster presentation at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in San Diego
In the RUBY trial as of the data cutoff date (October 29
reni-cel was well-tolerated and continued to demonstrate a safety profile consistent with myeloablative busulfan conditioning and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant by all patients (N=28)
Patients were at a median of 9.5 months post-reni-cel infusion
with 11 patients having >1 year follow-up
27 of the 28 patients were free of vaso-occlusive events (VOEs)
Patients were observed to have early normalization of total hemoglobin
with a mean total hemoglobin increasing from 9.8 g/dL at baseline to 13.8 g/dL at Month 6 (n=18)
Patients were also observed to have rapid and sustained improvements in fetal hemoglobin (HbF) ≥40% and mean corpuscular concentration (MCH-F) of HbF per F-cells
sustained clinically meaningful improvements were observed in patient-reported outcome domains for pain
Efficacy data in Patients with Severe Sickle Cell DiseasePatients were a median (range) of 9.5 (0.7–25.2) months post-reni-cel infusion
robust increases and sustained levels of total Hb and HbF
the mean total Hb was 13.8 g/dL with a mean HbF percentage of 48.1% (n=18)
The mean percentage of F-cells increased early and was sustained at >90% from month 4 through last follow-up (n=20)
MCH-F of HbF-containing red cells (F-cells) increased early
with mean value of 16.3 pg/F-cells at month 4 visit and sustained above the anti-sickling threshold of 10 pg/F-cell through last follow-up
improved or normalized by Month 6 and were generally maintained or improved as of last follow-up
Sustained clinically meaningful improvements were observed in pain
and social patient-reported outcome domains following treatment with reni-cel
Safety data in Patients with Severe Sickle Cell DiseaseReni-cel was well-tolerated and demonstrated a safety profile consistent with myeloablative conditioning with busulfan and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant by all evaluated RUBY trial patients (N=28)
all evaluable patients (n=27) achieved successful engraftment; with median time to neutrophil engraftment of 23 days and median time to platelet engraftment of 25 days
which is important for limiting infection and bleeding risk
Two serious adverse events (SAEs) assessed by the investigators as possibly related to reni-cel treatment have been reported in the RUBY trial
RUBY Poster Presentation Details: Title: Reni-Cel
an Investigational AsCas12a Gene-Edited Cell Medicine
Led to Sustained Hemoglobin Normalization and Increased Fetal Hemoglobin in Patients with Severe Sickle Cell Disease Treated in the RUBY TrialPresenting Author: Rabi Hanna
The poster can be accessed on the Editas Medicine website in the posters and presentations section
About renizgamglogene autogedtemcel (reni-cel)Reni-cel
is an experimental gene editing medicine under investigation for the treatment of severe sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT)
Reni-cel consists of patient-derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells edited at the gamma globin gene (HBG1 and HBG2) promoters
where naturally occurring fetal hemoglobin (HbF) inducing mutations reside
Red blood cells derived from reni-cel CD34+ cells demonstrate a sustained increase in fetal hemoglobin production
which has the potential to provide a one-time
durable treatment benefit for people living with severe SCD and TDT
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
The words ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘continue,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘potential,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘would,’’ and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements
although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words
Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the potential of
The Company may not actually achieve the plans
or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements
and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements
Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans
intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors
including: uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of clinical trials
and clinical development of the Company’s product candidates
including reni-cel; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial or the results of future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products and availability of funding sufficient for the Company’s foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements
These and other risks are described in greater detail under the caption “Risk Factors” included in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K
which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
as updated by the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
and in other filings that the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the future
Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof
and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements
The author will serve as editor-at-large of Monument Books
helping to find authors that champion ‘ideas
as well as uplifting or refashioning past legacies’
the author of the 2017 bestseller Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
has launched an imprint with the publisher HarperCollins
Monument Books will publish titles by writers “who can help us understand our past, navigate our present and map new futures”, said Kishani Widyaratna
the HarperCollins imprint with which Monument Books is being launched in collaboration
Eddo-Lodge said she started Monument Books to “pay it forward”
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
Eddo-Lodge had sold more than a million books
becoming the first black writer to top the British book charts
I thought carefully about the responsibility that my position has afforded me
and I wanted to create something with a collective spirit,” she said
The imprint will launch in February next year with a book compiled by Steve McQueen. Resistance, a photographic history of activism in Britain, also features writing by Gary Younge, Paul Gilroy and Shami Chakrabarti. It accompanies an exhibition at Margate’s Turner Contemporary which opens in February.
Read more“I’ve always admired Steve McQueen’s work,” said Eddo-Lodge
human stories – that are also part of the ethos of the imprint
He’s an excellent visual storyteller and I trusted his eye to tell these stories of resistance in a fresh way.”
The name Monument is “derived from the idea of each work on the list standing as a new monument to ideas
as well as uplifting or refashioning past legacies,” said 4th Estate
“The aspiration is that each title will become a landmark on a reader’s journey of discovery through the list and beyond
It also borrows from the idea of a monument as a meeting place and books as a point of connection.”
The imprint will publish three books a year – mostly nonfiction
look for interesting authors” and work with the 4th Estate team to “bring [authors’] work to life”
and I know what it takes to turn a blank page into something that people want to read,” said Eddo-Lodge
adding that she is “excited” to see how the list evolves
Free weekly newsletterDiscover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews
won the Jhalak prize and the British Book award for a work of narrative nonfiction
and was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford and Orwell prizes
“At a time when the world feels increasingly polarised and uncertain
it is a privilege for us to be working with Reni Eddo-Lodge on an imprint that will help connect readers to the world around them and to each other,” said Widyaratna
This article was amended on 19 December 2024 to more accurately refer to Reni Eddo-Lodge as the first black writer
Reni Windari MPA/ID 2025 and Ian Nurseto MPA/ID 2025 met with prospective students in Jakarta, Indonesia to discuss the Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) Program
Here’s what Reni shared about the event.
Since Ian and I were conducting fieldwork for our Second Year Policy Analysis (SYPA) project in Jakarta
Our motivation was twofold: to share our journey of applying to graduate school and our experiences at Harvard
and to encourage greater Indonesian representation.
we conducted fieldwork involving consultations with key stakeholders to develop practical policy recommendations.
Many MPA/ID students, including Ian and me, don’t have a background in economics, so we had to complete prerequisites before enrolling
We recommend starting to prepare early to manage the workload and avoid challenges when planning to move abroad
informal social activities such as weekly small group dinners and “unfiltered” sharing sessions provide supportive spaces for connection and exchanging personal experiences.
we recommend reflecting on your unique purpose
Understand your passions and areas of interest
and how you aim to contribute these at HKS and afterwards
you can shape a meaningful and rewarding journey
Some prospective students worry about unchangeable circumstances
the Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach when evaluating applications
and continue demonstrating leadership and commitment to development through your work and experiences
Applying to the MPA/ID Program can feel overwhelming
break the process into manageable milestones
and celebrate small wins to stay motivated and focused on your ultimate goal.
Reni Windari MPA/ID 2025, an MoF’s Ministerial Scholarship awardee
has a decade of experience with Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance
Her latest work focused on managing Indonesia’s education endowment funds
Passionate about public finance and education
Reni aims to enhance access and equality in education across developing countries by optimizing government support and global partnerships.
Ian Nurseto MPA/ID 2025 is an LPDP awardee with a decade of experience in the Ministry of Finance’s Directorate General of Taxes
he served as a Tax Crime Policy Analyst focusing on combating tax and economic crimes
with expertise in policymaking and management at national and international levels
He holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science in accounting and has knowledge in public finance
will dive into home renovation on a smaller scale with Mini Reni
and with three tiers available to choose from
you have more control over what you want to pay
You can also prepay for a year and save up to 20%
Mini Reni taps into the appeal of renovation shows like Fixer Upper
but differs by emphasizing smaller-scale remodels
Rather than tackle the tremendous redesign of a whole home
Joanna Gaines will zero in on one or two spaces and focus on making that small part of the home look as great as possible
She might've gotten buff and in shape to tackle massive projects
the focus this time is on the smaller things
For those still missing Fixer Upper all these years later
I used to love watching Fixer Upper and still enjoy throwing on new and upcoming HGTV shows to see people turn underwhelming houses into something amazing
I'm forced to confront the reality that I'm never going to be someone with all that's required to renovate an entire house
and that kills the fun out of watching for me just a bit
What I am capable of is redesigning a single room and/or working on a smaller-scaled home renovation project
I've put forth the effort with quite a few of those in the last decade
which is why Mini Reni is a pretty appealing idea
Maybe this will inspire me to make some big changes to my current living space
or I'll just enjoy a new series and continue to dream that I'll be a home renovator whilst doing none of the work to do so
As for what kinds of designs I'd like to see the show tackle
I would love to see Mini Reni take on a child's bedroom or a balcony space
I'm in desperate need of more innovation for both
and would welcome an episode that gives me some fresh ideas to redesign those spaces and make them feel even more welcoming
and I'm already looking outside thinking about how I can switch things up
be sure to tune into Magnolia or Max for the premiere of Mini Reni
Tune in to see Joanna Gaines back at it with her classic design style
and see if she's still praising the use of shiplap walls
but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek
He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television
He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well
you will then be prompted to enter your display name
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The gene editing company will focus on “in vivo” medicines
while seeking to license out or find a partner for its clinical-stage treatment reni-cel
Editas Medicine is pivoting once again, announcing Tuesday that it will seek a partner to advance its lead gene editing therapy
or potentially out-license rights to the treatment entirely
but it’s likely at least several years from an approval of its own
“We believe that the best option for both patients and our shareholders is for us to seek an alternative such as a global partner or out-licensing
which would allow for further development and ultimately commercialization of reni-cel with or by another party and would allow us to substantially reduce spend in 2025,” said Gilmore O’Neill
Editas has hired the investment bank Moelis & Company to lead its search for a partner or acquirer
A deal, if reached, would pass on the challenge of reaching market to a better-resourced firm. But it also leaves Editas hitting reset two years after the biotechnology company turned away from using CRISPR gene editing to treat diseases of the eye
Now, Editas is turning its focus to “in vivo” gene editing
where a CRISPR therapy does its work modifying genes after it’s infused into the body
Reni-cel and Casgevy are both built from a patient’s own stem cells
which are collected and then edited in a laboratory
Editas also shared preclinical data that it described as “proof of concept” for using CRISPR gene editing in vivo to treat sickle cell and beta thalassemia
Working with mice engrafted with human stem cells
company researchers were able to shuttle CRISPR tools into the cells
where they edited a specific part of the genome that helps to govern production of a fetal form of the blood protein hemoglobin
Turning fetal hemoglobin back on is known to help protect people with sickle cell and beta thalassemia from disease symptoms
are also designed to boost fetal hemoglobin production
An in vivo medicine would hold advantages over reni-cel and Casgevy
most notably removing the need for preparatory chemotherapy treatment that comes with safety risks
as a patient’s stem cells wouldn’t need to be shipped back to central manufacturing laboratories
like the research journeys of reni-cel and Casgevy
Editas is also considering how else it might use its drug delivery technology to bring in vivo gene editing to harder-to-reach tissues outside of the liver
Editas estimates it will end the third quarter with about $320 million in cash
cash equivalents and marketable securities
“Whether a partnership comes to fruition — and under what financial terms — is a point of interest
[Editas]’s intention for capital-efficient development should be a step in a positive direction,” wrote Dae Gon Ha
Shares in Editas fell by about 8% Tuesday morning after rising Monday afternoon. The company on Monday announced a research collaboration with Genevant Sciences
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Marks’ resignation leaves the field without a regulator many view as “integral” to its progress over the last decade
Recent biotech company acquisitions have put emerging schizophrenia treatments in focus
But many development hurdles still stand in the way of new medicines for the brain
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Joanna Gaines is branching out on her own for her new renovation series Mini Reni, coming to Max and Magnolia Network this spring. After previously proving she could “transform a space in less than a week” with a 2023 half-hour special of the same name
Gaines is turning the concept into a full-blown series
Per Variety
“Known for her large-scale renovations
Joanna Gaines takes on a series of ‘mini’ projects with quick timelines
creative additions to transform smaller spaces with big impact.”
“What I love about Mini Reni is the freedom to go all-in on just one or two smaller spaces
These aren’t whole-house renovations
so that instead of having to wrap your mind around the million details that go into a bigger renovation
The first season of Mini Reni will feature nine episodes
The new episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays at 8 p.m
While Gaines’ husband, Chip Gaines, won’t be working on the show with his wife, he will serve as a producer (Joanna is producing, as well). The Gaines’ are best known for their series Fixer Upper
which debuted in 2013 and aired for five seasons before ending in 2018
The couple then branched out by creating their own media company, Magnolia Network. To go with the network’s official launch in 2021, Chip and Joanna released one season of the spinoff Fixer Upper: Welcome Home
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These findings build off research from March 2023 that demonstrated efficacy and safety of renizgamglogene autogedtemcel in patients with sickle cell disease
an experimental 1-time gene editing cell therapy
was well-tolerated in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and no serious adverse events (AEs) were observed
The findings were presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2024 Hybrid Congress in Madrid
Image credit: extender_01 | stock.adobe.com
and tolerability of treatment with reni-cel
which is a treatment consisting of autologous gene edited CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells that corrects the mutation responsible for SCD
in adult and adolescent patients with severe SCD
which was defined as 2 or more severe vaso-occlusive events (VOEs) per year during the 2-year period prior to informed consent
A total of 18 patients aged 18 to 50 years were enrolled in the trial and received 1-time intravenous infusions of reni-cel following myeloablative conditioning with busulfan
The patients underwent a procedure where their stem cells were collected for gene editing
then received chemotherapy to clear any remaining bone marrow which makes room for the repaired cells later infused back into the body.1-3
The primary end point for this trial was the proportion of patients achieving complete resolution of severe VOEs
which is measured up to 2 years following reni-cel infusion
secondary end points included proportion of patients achieving complete resolution of VOEs
number of patients with 90% reduction in annualized rate of severe VOE compared to pre-treatment
the number of patients with 75% and 50% reduction in annualized rate of severe VOEs compared to pre-treatment
changes from baseline in total hemoglobin (Hb) and HbF concentrations
all of which were assessed up to 2 years following reni-cel infusion.2
Trial Name: A Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of EDIT-301 in Participants With Severe Sickle Cell Disease (RUBY)
the patients enrolled tolerated reni-cel infusion without any serious AEs
patients had all successfully regained their white blood cells and platelets and were free of painful events since treatment
those followed for 5 months or longer were observed to have their anemia resolved.1
Earlier findings from March 2023 that detailed 4 patients who received reni-cel treatment were published in Hemasphere during August 2023
patients 1 and 2 were 8 and 4 months post-reni-cel infusion
and patients 3 and 4 were less than 1 month post-reni-cel infusion
patients 1 was shown to achieve neutrophil and platelet engraftment within 23 and 19 days
Patient 1 had Hb increase from 4.5 g/dL from baseline to 16.4 g/dL at 6 months
and patient 2 had an increase from 3.6 g/dL at baseline to 12.1 g/dL at 3 months following reni-cel infusion
all markers of hemolysis improved or normalized and editing levels in peripheral blood nucleated cells were mover 80% in both patients.3
these 2 patients were also had no reported VOEs and demonstrated normal Hb concentrations and HbF levels of 35% or more
The safety profile of reni-cel was shown to be consistent with myeloablative conditioning with busulfan
The patients were also observed to have no AEs related to reni-cel
“It’s encouraging that this gene-editing treatment continues to show promising efficacy for sickle cell patients,” said the trial’s presenting investigator Rabi Hanna
chairman of the division of pediatric hematology oncology and blood and marrow transplantation at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital
“These latest results offer hope that this new experimental treatment will continue to show progress and get us closer to a functional cure for this devastating disease.”1
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609-716-7777
According to new research presented at the 2024 Annual European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress
Vertex and Editas continue to provide positive results for patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) or severe sickle cell disease (SCD)
Vertex announced encouraging long-term results for CASGEVY
the only FDA-approved CRISPR-based gene-editing treatment (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel])
with the longest follow-up period currently exceeding five years
a CRISPR gene-edited cell therapy for TDT and SCD
was shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials by Editas (previously known as EDIT-301)
The ongoing post-approval global trial for CASGEVY
an ex vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited cell therapy that is non-viral and available to eligible patients with TDT or SCD
demonstrates that the treatment has transformative
These findings are based on data from over a hundred patients (46 SCD; 56 TDT) who received CASGEVY
which involves editing a patient’s own hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells at the erythroid-specific enhancer region of the BCL11A gene using a precise DNA double-strand break
The safety profile of exa-cel was found to be mostly in line with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and myeloablative conditioning with busulfan
A successful editing of the long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) was indicated by the stable levels of edited BCL11A alleles in bone marrow and peripheral blood over time in both SCD and TDT patients
all patients who received CASGEVY showed engraftment of platelets and neutrophils
indicative of HSCs capable of generating a hematopoietic repertoire
The effectiveness findings for CASGEVY align with the previously reported analyses of primary and important secondary endpoints from these exa-cel studies
The findings consistently demonstrate substantial clinical improvement
along with sustained and consistent levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF)
92.3% (36 out of 39) and 97.4% (38 out of 39) of those who had at least 16 months of follow-up did not experience vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and hospitalizations related to VOCs for at least 12 consecutive months (VF12)
These findings align with the previously reported data on the main objective
The average duration of VOC-free was 27.9 months
Out of the evaluable patients in TDT 49/52 (94.2%)
those who were followed up for at least 16 months
were able to go without transfusions for a minimum of 12 consecutive months
Their average weighted hemoglobin (Hb) level was at least 9 g/dL (TI12)
which aligns with the primary endpoint data reported earlier
The average length of time during which transfusion independence was maintained was 31.0 months
All TDT patients who received treatment for a minimum of 16 months have not required any further blood transfusions
Two of the three TDT patients who did not achieve TI12 in the initial clinical trial
achieved TI12 in the long-term follow-up study
and have been transfusion independent for over one year
The third TDT patient has been transfusion-free for 3.4 months
Editas Medicine also presented new safety and efficacy data for reni-cel in the Phase I/II/III RUBY trial for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and the Phase I/II EdiTHAL trial for patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) at the 2024 EHA Congress
Reni-cel differs from CASGEVY in that it employs a different RNA-guided editor
making it the first experimental Cas12a gene-edited cell therapy medicine
It also has a different genetic target (the HBG1/2 promoter) than CASGEVY
which uses Cas9 to target the BCL11A enhancer
There have been no reported side effects in the RUBY trial
and reni-cel’s safety profile in SCD patients is similar to that of myeloablative conditioning with busulfan and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Patients who received reni-cel treatment remained VOE-free for up to 22.8 months and had total Hb levels that exceeded CASGEVY
with a mean within the normal range of >14 g/dL and rapid and sustained improvements in HbF levels of well over 40%
All seven patients who received reni-cel in the EdiTHAL study reported few side effects
and the drug’s safety profile is comparable to that of myeloablative conditioning with busulfan and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant
all EdiTHAL patients experienced an early and significant increase in total Hb and HbF
and they remained transfusion-free for 4.1 to 12.8 months at the final follow-up
If Editas Medicine’s reni-cel continues to demonstrate advancement
there is a potential for the emergence of a third genetic medicine for SCD and TDT
which would join Vertex’s CASGEVY and Bluebird Bio’s LYFGENIA (lovotibeglogene autotemcel)
LYFGENIA operates by genetically altering a patient’s blood stem cells to generate a hemoglobin known as HbAT87Q
This hemoglobin closely resembles the normal hemoglobin A (HbA) present in healthy adults
and red blood cells containing HbAT87Q have a lower risk of sickling and blocking blood flow
Bluebird Bio’s gene-edited cell therapy is slightly different from CASGEVY and reni-cel in that it uses a lentiviral vector (gene delivery vehicle) for genetic modification and does not employ CRISPR
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HarperCollins and 4th Estate have announced the launch of a new imprint, Monument Books, founded in collaboration with Reni Eddo-Lodge
author of the international bestseller Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
Monument Books is being founded as a "revelatory
The list will be curated by Eddo-Lodge and "represent the most essential thinking
The imprint’s mission statement continues: "We seek to champion distinctive writers from across the world and to help them spark ideas
make change and shape the cultural conversation
We are driven by community: of our authors
Eddo-Lodge said: "I’m delighted to be working with the excellent team at 4th Estate to bring Monument Books to life
take readers by surprise and deepen their understanding of the world
and I want to give readers that same electrifying feeling I’ve experienced over the years with my favourite books."
The imprint will launch in February 2025 and publish three books each year of non-fiction with select fiction and classics
Reni Eddo-Lodge will serve as editor-at-large working with publishing director Kishani Widyaratna and the team at 4th Estate
The book contains 120 archival photographs, "ranging from rare, covert surveillance images to era-defining press shots", spanning from the radical suffrage movement in 1903 to the Anti-Iraq War Protest in 2003. These are interwoven with firsthand accounts from witnesses to these historic moments and expert analysis from writers including Gary Younge, Paul Gilroy and Baroness Chakrabarti.
McQueen said: "This exhibition and book explores how people have challenged the status quo—a mission that feels especially urgent in today’s political climate."
A statement from 4th Estate on the new imprint reads: "The name Monument Books is derived from the idea of each work on the list standing as a new monument to ideas, stories and culture, as well as uplifting or refashioning past legacies. The aspiration is that each title will become a landmark on a reader’s journey of discovery through the list and beyond. It also borrows from the idea of a monument as a meeting place and books as a point of connection."
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safety and tolerability data shared at hematology meeting
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demonstrate preliminary efficacy following infusion of renizgamglogene autogedtemcel (reni-cel)
The therapy has also shown a favorable safety and tolerability profile
Rabi Hanna, MD, Director of the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic Children’s
presented these findings at the 2024 European Hematology Association meeting
the second-largest hematology meeting in the world
He stresses that while the research team is encouraged by these results
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder caused by a single mutation in the hemoglobin gene
It affects more than 20 million people worldwide and 100,000 people in the U.S
There is a disproportionate burden on those of African ancestry or who identify as Black
according to the National Institutes of Health
autologous hematopoietic stem cell therapy
could offer potentially a curative option for patients with severe sickle cell disease
their own stem cells become the ‘donor’ cells
mimicking naturally occurring mechanisms involved in the hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH)
This has a protective effect on red blood cells
preventing them from sickling and preventing end-organ damage,” explains Dr
18 of the study’s 40 enrolled patients have received the reni-cel transfusion
Follow-up ranges from two months to two years
All patients in the study reported being free of a vaso-occlusion event following reni-cel infusion
They also experienced normalization of total hemoglobin and correction of anemia
Vaso-occlusive pain crises and hemolytic anemia
patients who received the infusion appear to have normal hemoglobin
Because we know that sustained increases to hemoglobin and fetal hemoglobin levels correlate with improved function and better patient-reported outcomes in those with sickle cell disease,” he notes
with a mean within the normal range at >14 g/dL and improvements in fetal hemoglobin well above levels of >40%
This sustained improvement in fetal hemoglobin is important
“because we know that through the pathology of hemolysis
people with sickle cell disease can experience liver and kidney damage,” he says
if we can address that and prevent hemolysis
we may be able to prevent end-organ damage.”
Results also show successful engraftment among all patients who received the infusion
While the study does not directly compare to other gene therapies
the authors observed a relatively early time to engraftment
Time to neutrophil engraftment was a median time of 23.0 days (15.0
29.0) and time to platelet engraftment was a median time of 24.0 days (18.0
Study data demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability outcomes among all participants
The reni-cel safety profile is consistent with myeloablative busulfan conditioning and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Hanna emphasizes these are interim—and not final—results
the data are consistent with the initial findings
patients’ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are harvested from peripheral blood
to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells in preparation for apheresis
The cells are sent to a genome editing company
where they are edited at promoter regions of gamma globin genes 1 and 2 using CRISPR/CASP 12
Patients in the trial receive myeloablation conditioning with busulfan
This high dose of chemotherapy is important to get rid of the nonfunctional cells and makes room for the modified stem cell infusion
patients are monitored in the hospital until engraftment
“CRISPR/Cas12a is an incredibly precise technology that goes directly toward the gene
making edits to the HBG1 and HBG2 promotor regions
inducing the production of fetal hemoglobin and
Patients in the RUBY Trial receive a single infusion of reni-cel with a 24-month follow-up as a primary endpoint
“It’s been more than 100 years since sickle cell disease was discovered and
few options have existed for patients,” Dr
Allogenic blood or marrow transplant are the only curative options for individuals with the disease
and outcomes may be suboptimal due to risk of graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease
first approved by FDA is an antineoplastic drug in the 1960s
was later used for adults with sickle cell disease in the late 1990s
It wasn’t approved for use in pediatric patients with the disease until 2017
While the drug addresses some symptoms and may prevent pain crises in some patients
Enrollment for the RUBY trial has concluded
but the study will continue until each patient reaches their two-year follow-up
Hanna also remarks that inclusion criteria was amended to include adolescent patients as young as age 12
and the final analysis will reflect data from these patients
He says that one patient in the study described their experiences with the therapy as freeing: "free from hospitals
free from pain and freeing him to achieve his dreams.”
the team is hopeful that they will continue to observe positive outcomes in this patient population
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All RUBY trial patients remain free of vaso-occlusive events for 2-22 months
All 18 adults with severe sickle cell disease (SCD) treated with the gene-editing therapy renizgamglogene autogedtemcel — known as reni-cel — remained free of vaso-occlusive events
according to new interim data from the Phase 1/2/3 RUBY clinical trial
The therapy, being developed by Editas Medicine
also normalized total hemoglobin levels and was well tolerated
with a safety profile consistent with a stem cell transplant and the chemotherapy conditioning regimen that precedes it
“Treatment with reni-cel showed a favorable safety profile and promising preliminary efficacy
supporting further investigation as a differentiated gene-edited medicine for patients with SCD,” Hanna said
“We look forward to continuing to evaluate its effectiveness on this patient population in need of treatment options.”
Hanna shared these findings in an oral presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Hybrid Congress 2024
People with SCD carry mutations that lead to the production of an abnormal form of adult hemoglobin, which is the protein that transports oxygen in red blood cells. As a result, these cells adopt a sickle-like shape and die prematurely, leading to a shortage of red blood cells, or anemia, one of the most common symptoms of SCD
Vaso-occlusive events or VOEs — which include painful vaso-occlusive crises
as well as other SCD complications — occur when sickled cells form clumps and block blood flow
is designed to boost the production of fetal hemoglobin
This version of hemoglobin typically is produced in early fetal development
but normally stops being made shortly after birth
is more efficient at carrying oxygen than is its adult counterpart
to introduce genetic changes that mimic those that naturally occur in people with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin — a benign condition in which HbF continues being produced into adulthood
Treatment first involves collecting hematopoietic stem cells
These cells are genetically modified to make high levels of HbF and are then infused back into the patient via a stem cell transplant
which is preceded by a course of chemotherapy to destroy stem cells in the bone marrow and make room for the edited ones
The modified stem cells are then expected to give rise to red blood cells that are capable of producing HbF
which in turn is expected to reduce the likelihood of sickling and SCD complications like VOCs
The Phase 1/2/3 RUBY trial (NCT04853576)
is evaluating the safety and efficacy of a single infusion of reni-cel in about 40 patients
patients must have had at least two severe VOEs per year in the two years before entering the study
Severe VOEs were defined as episodes of acute pain or other complications associated with blood vessel obstruction that required medical attention despite treatment with hydroxyurea or other supportive care measures
At the EHA Congress, Hanna shared data from the first 18 patients infused with reni-cel. Her oral presentation was titled “Reni-cel, the first AsCas12a gene-edited cell therapy, led to hemoglobin normalization and increased fetal hemoglobin in severe sickle cell disease patients in an interim analysis of the RUBY trial.”
These patients ranged in age from 18 to 35
the patients experienced a mean of 5.2 severe VOEs per year
In line with the first two patients dosed, all 18 participants have been free of VOEs since receiving a reni-cel infusion — with follow-up ranging from 2.4 to 22.8 months, or nearly two years.
Among nine patients with at least six months of follow-up, reni-cel increased total hemoglobin levels into the normal range, with a mean of 14.3 g/dL at six months. At the same time, HbF levels reached 48.5% in all 10 patients with six months of follow-up.
Markers of hemolysis, or red blood cell destruction, either normalized or started displaying a trend toward normalization in all treated patients.
The mean percentage of HbF-producing red blood cells increased early and was sustained at levels higher than 90% among all 12 patients with at least four months of follow-up.
Mean corpuscular fetal hemoglobin — the average hemoglobin levels — in HbF-containing red cells remained above the sickling threshold in all 14 patients with at least three months of follow-up.
All patients demonstrated successful engraftment, meaning the transplanted stem cells survived and expanded within the bone marrow, repopulating the body with new blood cells.
These data … support our belief that reni-cel has the potential to be a best-in-class and clinically differentiated, one-time, durable medicine that can provide life-changing clinical benefits to patients.
Reni-cel has been well tolerated, with no serious safety-related events reported. All side effects noted so far have been those associated with a stem cell transplant and the chemotherapy conditioning regimen that precedes it.
“These data … support our belief that reni-cel has the potential to be a best-in-class and clinically differentiated, one-time, durable medicine that can provide life-changing clinical benefits to patients,” said Baisong Mei, MD, PhD, Editas’ chief medical officer.
Mei noted that more than 20 patients have been dosed to date in the RUBY trial, and added that the study has “opened and enrolled patients in the adolescent cohort [group].”
“I would like to thank the participants, their families and caregivers, clinicians, and colleagues at collaborating institutions that contribute to the RUBY trial,” Mei said.
This site is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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considered as much in his guise as a poet as in that of a theorist
with whom one can say not only totally overcome the historical inferiority complex that ’art had always suffered vis-à-vis letters
but it could be considered to some extent reversed
it was often poetry that followed painting
trying to express in words what the immediacy of images suggested to the poet’s eyes
retracing the ramifications that this very fertile cultural humus followed in the city
The audience is immediately provided with an appropriate
engaging context: we are in the second largest and most populous center of the Papal States
arts and sciences flourished also as a result of the presence of the Studium
as well as the numerous artists’ ateliers and
the academies of painters and men of letters where new ideas were elaborated
where the marriage between poetry and painting was continually celebrated
so much so that the first painting one encounters in the exhibition is a sort of manifesto
If in the Galleria Borghese exhibition this sort of programmatic role was entrusted to Francesco Furini’s Pittura e Poesia (Painting and Poetry )
in Bologna one can admire a painting animated by the same principle
Giovanni Andrea Sirani’sAllegory of the Three Arts (namely
on the contrary: the four-decade gap between the first painted manifestations of the link between painting and poetry and the work on display at the Pinacoteca Nazionale is
testimony to how enduring the phenomenon investigated by the exhibition was (of course: if one wished
one could identify its offshoots up to the present day
but at the time the interweaving of art and poetry was not only at the center of cultural debate
and would remain so until well into the eighteenth century)
At the center of the exhibition in Bologna
would seem to be a crucial element for understanding the relationship between art and painting in the seventeenth century
the consideration that the painter’s craft enjoyed at the time: it is a declination of the theme that was touched upon by the exhibition at the Galleria Borghese and which
take the topic even more broadly: what did it mean to be a painter in early 17th-century Bologna
What was the role of the artist in society
The idea that the artist was a kind of intellectual capable of collaborating with the literati to awaken minds from their torpor is beginning to be clearly perceived: the Accademia dei Gelati
on whose coat of arms stood a forest of trees dried up by the cold (the “gelati”)
established in 1588 on the initiative of the physician Melchiorre Zoppio
had set itself the goal of fostering the thawing of minds frozen by ’ignorance
through the initiation of antiquarian research
the promotion of philosophical discussions
the patronage of broader initiatives (theatrical performances
and the translation of ideas into works of art
Such cenacles could not do without the participation of artists
whose brush could give image form to ideas (“expressing perfect ideas,” academic Ercole Agostino Berrò would write in one of his speeches
moreover praising Guido Reni as the highest example of perfection): the painter is now not only perceived as a friend of the poets but
who can participate independently in the cultural debate by contributing his own ideas
On the occasion of Agostino Carracci’s funeral in 1602 (on display are engravings reproducing the sets prepared for the occasion: Many of the leading Bolognese artists of the time participated
under the direction of a then 25-year-old Guido Reni)
a publication was printed in which the Incamminati
or members of the academy founded by the Carracci
collected texts and poems produced in honor of therecently deceased artist
written by the academician Benedetto Morello
one could read that the artists “not only show valer in drawing their principal study
but they discover themselves more than mezanamente indententi and of architectures
and give essay of having cognitione of historie and fables; indeed with new thoughts
they give to see that they are not deprived of the cognition of sciences
the whole always accompanying with istupendo giudicio in applying it
and with rare shrewdness in arranging and ordering it
et insomma mostraresi such that they give hope of the happiest progress
if not manifest clarity of task value.”
This is how painters were perceived in early 17th-century Bologna
And in this dense web of correspondences between arts and letters
a position that was anything but marginal was that of the collectors
and were regulars in the painters’ workshops
with whom they not infrequently became friends: Significant is the case of Cesare Rinaldi
who was a great friend of Agostino Carracci
to the point that he was portrayed by him in a splendid portrait in which the fine collector
is depicted holding a pocket watch (“da saccoccia”
it would have been said at the time) and is immersed in a study in which appear all the objects of his singular Wunderkammer dedicated
painting and music (so here appear works of art
and more generally the instruments of the three arts)
Another prominent collector was the younger Andrea Barbazzi
owner of a vast picture gallery that certainly included Ludovico Carracci’s Iole
on loan from the Manodori Foundation of Reggio Emilia
It is around Barbazzi that the most significant new features of the exhibition are concentrated: In fact
in the library of the Harry Ransom Center of the University of Austin
a manuscript that allows us to shed new light on the figure of this poet
friend of many painters (and especially of Guido Reni)
paintings that the exhibition presents to the public
The manuscript contains a collection of over three hundred of Barbazza’s poems
unpublished: they had been gathered by the author
with a view to publication after his death
It was not uncommon for poets to compose anthologies of their entire production with a posthumous printed publication in mind: however
written in beautiful handwriting (a circumstance that supports the hypothesis of their preparation for printing) never reached the printing press
Barbazza’s poems were therefore forgotten
to the archives of the Accademia dei Gelati
decided to dispose of its entire library holdings by auction
It was in that circumstance that the manuscript was purchased
at a time when several newly established American study centers were feeling the need to create valuable libraries for themselves
and consequently purchased en bloc lots they found on the Italian market
what is important is that this summary of Barbazza’s literary production has been found: it is mostly ecphrastic poems
referring to the works of art that the poet had in his own collection
to those paintings that he had in his house
is a bit like having an inventory of Barbazza’s collection in hand
Identifying Iole was not such an arduous task: the heroine of Greek mythology
known for having subdued Hercules to the point of forcing him to wear women’s clothes while she wore the skin of the Nemean lion and held his club
is the protagonist of a lyric entitled Jole laughing with the lion’s skin by Lodovico Carracci that is well suited to an image hitherto devoid of history (“La bellissima Jole / Che così viva appararne ne’ tuoi colori / Coprir del bianco seno hor non vuole più / Con sotil velo gli animati averi / Ma della spoglia del Leon Nemeo / La clava impogna
/ Per maggiore trofeo / Fastosetta deride / Conocchia il filatore Alcide
qual vasto si accrescce al tuo penello / Jole in Alcide
it is at present only a hypothesis to identify a portrait that had so far provoked long discussions among critics about the identity of the subject
which has so far never been proven: it is the so-called Portrait of a Gonfalonier by Artemisia Gentileschi
and this is the hypothesis presented to the public in the exhibition
in the manuscript appears the description of a “Portrait of the author by the hand of Roman Artemisia,” which does not describe the painting but
was content to evoke it (“Pingi qui il mio volto / Appaga
il tuo desio / Che se finito è your heart in mine / You may well also exercise your right hand / With finite master Art; / But
to me similar / Cangia l’usato stile
et immortal colore / Da morte al volto se le desti al core”)
the year in which Artemisia painted the work
during the years when Rome was ruled by a Bolognese
the protagonist of this winter’s other important Roman exhibition
dedicated precisely to the Ludovisi papacy
had moved to Rome included both Andrea Barbazza and Guido Reni (the two were close friends
indeed: Andrea Barbazza considered himself a sort of servant of the painter
and the same self-perception was held by Cesare Rinaldi
it cannot be ruled out that Barbazza commissioned Artemisia for an eventual portrait on that occasion
Some knots remain to be clarified: why the subject has the attributes of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
while instead on the pontifical gonfalon the hook could be Barbazza’s election to the Collegio degli Anziani in Bologna in 1607
an office that allowed him to portray himself precisely with the gonfalon
After a section listing the achievements of some Bolognese painters who frequented Roman circles
showing some of their most refined masterpieces always to be read in relation to the poetry of the time (parading an Amor vincit omnia by Gian Giacomo Sementi
whose work was often requested by poets such as Marino and Barbazza themselves
another painter praised by Bolognese poets such as Giulio Cesare Croce and Ridolfo Campeggi
and again the Roman Lucretia by Guido Reni)
here comes a comparison between the two versions of theAtalanta and Ippomene by Guido Reni
displayed alongside the Strage degli innocenti to which Marino dedicated one of his lyrics
contained in the famous Galeria (“Che fai Guido
che mentre il sanguinoso / Stuol de’ fanciulli ravivando vai / Nova morte gli dai
/ O ne la crudeltate anco pietoso / Fabro gentil
/ Ch’ancora tragico caso è caro oggetto
/ E che spesso l’horror va col diletto”)
the two works were exhibited together in 2023 in Madrid
on the occasion of the great exhibition that the Prado dedicated to Guido Reni
but the Italian public had not seen the two squares together since 1988
the year of the complete monograph curated
precisely at the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
by Andrea Emiliani: an exhibition so important that it then traveled to Los Angeles and Fort Worth
by virtue of the existence of a passage in theAdonis of Marino
composed in the same years in which Guido painted his masterpiece
dedicated to the myth of Atalanta and Ippomene (“Per l’arringo mortal
e con spedita pianta / del gran viaggio al termine s’affretta
/ But oftentimes its course turns away / the adulator sense
which allures it to itself / with the pleasant and playful object / of this pomo d’or
What is not known about the painting is who commissioned it: it seems almost as if the ancient history of the painting has been forgotten
were it not for those verses by Marino that lead one to trace the genesis from the painting back to the cultural milieu of Bologna
Inventory records for the two works are very late: anAtalanta e Ippomene by Guido Reni is mentioned in the Gonzaga collections in the late seventeenth century
and it is not even known which version it is (assuming that those in Naples and Madrid are the only two actually produced by Guido’s hand)
a Genoese nobleman in the service of the Spanish crown
had in his hands anAtalanta e Ippomene by Guido Reni that later found its way into the collections of the kings of Spain: it is the work preserved today in the Prado
Even less is known about the Neapolitan painting
since it appears only at the beginning of the 19th century in a Milanese collection
and then arrived in the Bourbon collections
The idea suggested by Giulia Iseppi is that to search for the patron (or rather: the patrons) of theAtalanta and Ippomene we need to look among the literary circles of the early seventeenth century
and in this case in the Accademia dei Desiosi
founded by the Turin cardinal Maurizio di Savoia (who knows
that he might not also have brigaded to get Andrea Barbazza recognized by the Mauritian Order)
The Accademia dei Desiosi certainly brought together Giovan Battista Marino
several high prelates who gravitated around Gregory XV
the Accademia produced a kind of diary in which they also spoke of the “fable of Atalanta,” a circumstance that
provided the title of the exhibition: that of Atalanta and Ippomene was a story (indeed
a “fable”) little frequented by the painters of the time
but known to the literati and much frequented by the academicians attended by both Guido Reni and Giovan Battista Marino
the name of the patrons of theAtalanta and Ippomene is perhaps to be sought in those prelates who had large rooms in which to display paintings of such considerable size
and who at the same time could fully understand
under the banner of that refined Christian humanism used to reread Greek and Roman myths in a contemporary key
the meaning of Guido Reni’s painting: the Bolognese Ludovico Ludovisi
A painting perhaps created for one of these prelates and then became the object of desire of some of his other “colleagues,” to the point of leading Guido to paint another version
the Bologna of poets and painters whose relationships did not end
The exhibition at the Pinacoteca Nazionale helps to clear the fog on these relationships that were not limited only to the professional sphere
Poets should not be seen as the painters’ sources of inspiration
Their relationships were closer and more ductile: there were relationships of friendship
relationships of intermediation involving collectors
Relationships that were expressed in those academies
in those circles that were to be considered centers of cultural power alternative to the centers of official knowledge
Guido Reni and the Poets is thus an exhibition of high scholarly value that adds significant
fundamental pages to the history of seventeenth-century Italian art
of limited dimensions and therefore useful to avoid a hasty consumption and
elegant and carefully detailed layout (there are also engaging “sound showers” that reproduce audio with readings of the poems related to the paintings)
and also equipped with an educational workshop open to all
in which one runs the serious risk of spending more time than in the exhibition
We will never know how many visitors actually went to the Pinacoteca for this occasion
because there was no separate ticketing (we will only be able to tell if the flows experienced increases in the three months that the exhibition was open)
but at least on the media level it seems to see that The Tale of Atalanta did not get much prominence
The Tale of Atalanta: Guido Reni and the Poets
currently on view at the National Pinacoteca of Bologna
examines the friendship and collaboration between Bolognese poets and painters including not only Reni
The exhibition offers a handful of extraordinary works
nearly identical versions of the famous painting Atalanta and Hippomenes (1620-25) by Guido Reni
based upon a tale taken from Book X of Ovid’s Metamorphoses
We might also add that Atalanta kills those suitors who lose against her: “You cannot have me,” she said
“unless you outrun me; / come race against me
Those are the rules of the contest.” (Book X: 677-679)
‘a foolhardy throng of admirers took up the wager’ (X: 681) such was her beauty
The young and slender Hippomenes is only able to succeed with the help of Aphrodite and her gift of three golden apples
Reni depicts the moment when Hippomenes has suddenly dropped a golden apple to the ground and Atalanta cannot resist pausing to pick it up
With the aid of this stratagem Hippomenes manages to overcome Atalanta and win the race
The two figures are set within a nocturnal landscape
their legs crossed in the center of the painting
with Hippomenes glancing backward at Atalanta as she bends down to retrieve the second of the apples
one of which is already resting in the palm of her left hand
The third is presumably still in Hippomenes’ left hand which is hidden behind his back
It will be the last to fall and ensure the youth his victory
The two life sized figures are entirely nude
the primary purpose of which seems to be to serve as the proverbial fig leaf
The supreme genius of the painting consists in the chiasm formed by the X-shaped crossing of their legs (which may be a reference
to the Book in which Ovid’s tale occurs).The decussation is a masterful stroke on the part of Reni
who undoubtedly read his Ovid closely – for Atalanta is ambivalent about Hippomenes
uncertain whether she wishes to win or be won
and reluctant to see this bold suitor join the previous young men who have perished for their folly
The intertwining of their legs is the symbolical representation of this ambiguity and her inner turmoil
Even while she leads with her left leg she is falling behind with her right
It is also a foreshadowing of the outcome; that is
Hippomenes’ ultimate victory and hence their sexual intertwining which would occur shortly after inside a shrine near the temple of Cybele
The couple would be punished for their defilement of the holy place by being transformed into a pair of lions
fated to ‘champ at the bit of the harness /on either side of the yoke of Cybele’s chariot.’ (X: 819-20)
for he still holds the third apple which he has yet to drop
the painter has chosen to show the moment when Hippomenes has finally taken the lead and is bound to win with the aid of Aphrodite and her irresistible fruit
Reni has depicted the most pregnant instant
not the ultimate moment of success but rather the penultimate scene
leaving it to the viewer to imagine the climax which is presently to come
Reni employs a similar approach in the other great masterpiece of the exhibition
but one which was not unfamiliar to painters of Reni’s era – depicted also by Peter Paul Rubens in 1610
and half a century earlier by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his son Pieter Brueghel the Younger
It so happened that on the same day as I saw this painting
the Southport child killer was sentenced to life in prison for having brutally stabbed to death three young girls in July 2024
I could not help but see this painting in the shadow of the horror of which I was being reminded by the headlines of the day
The Massacre is about the killing of the most vulnerable
the most helpless and that is why it grips and terrifies us
reminding us that society’s most defenseless will always
be a target for those who are determined to wreak havoc
The interesting aesthetic question is how the depiction of such a terrible scene can still be regarded as beautiful art
the Neapolitan poet Giambattista Marino confronted this very problem in a short rhyme: ‘Do you not see that while the bloody/ throng of children you revive
new death you them give?/ Gentle craftsman know/ even in cruelty
you know well,/ when a tragic event can be also a dear sight,/ and often horror goes with delight.’ I am tempted to heed the South Korean philosopher
Jung Ja Park in regarding such works of art not as instances of beauty
As she observes in her book Sublime Aesthetics: Artistic Principles of Violence and the Grotesque (2024): ‘… there are certain moments when we stand before something not beautiful
and we feel a powerful aesthetic emotion—a shiver
There are other extraordinary surprises in store for the visitor to this exhibition
not least of which is Lavinia Fontana’s Giuditta con la testa di Oloferne (ca
The theme of Judith and Holofernes was a favorite among artists of that era: perhaps the most memorable is Caravaggio’s depiction of Judith in the act of severing Holofernes’ head from his neck while he still lays in bed
widely regarded as the first female career artist in Western Europe
would also depict Judith with the decapitated torso of Holofernes as she places the head into a sack held by her handmaid
Judith is gripping Holofernes’ head by the hair with her left hand; with her right hand she holds her sword aloft
On the right side of the canvas and in the rear is her maidservant
and it may very well be that the figure of Judith is a self-portrait
Her dress and jewelry are ornate and rendered with consummate skill
if there is any criticism to be made it is that her necklace
is so over the top that one is distracted from the true theme of the painting
heroic woman (femme forte) over a powerful Assyrian general and the enemy of her people
Artemisia Gentileschi would also depict Judith in the act of slaying Holofernes
we are presented with a 1622 full length portrait by Gentileschi
‘one of the rare and most remarkable examples of portraiture’ in her oeuvre
The identity of the figure is uncertain: what we can be sure of is that it is a knight
bearing the white cross and green mantle associated with the Mauritian order
The painting is brightly lit and not rendered with the chiaroscuro that characterizes the work of the Caravaggisti
with which Artemisia and her father Orazio Gentileschi were associated
Other notable works are included in this captivating exhibition
I have focused on but a handful that stood out for various reasons
will reward the visitor not only with its most monumental and glorious works
though no less precious gems of early 17th century Bolognese painting
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Rock’n Robin Productions, the production outfit run by Robin Roberts, has announced two executive hires. Reni Calister is the new chief content officer and Quanny Carr is director of development.
Roberts, anchor on Good Morning America, is president of Rock’n Robin.
"Reni and Quanny are dedicated storytellers and a ‘dream team’ who are ready to take Rock’n Robin Productions to new heights,” said Roberts
“As we ready to celebrate our ten-year anniversary at RRP
I am excited to embark on this new chapter with Reni and Quanny as they spearhead creative and continue our mission of impactful storytelling that inspires audiences and champions many stories that might otherwise not be told.”
Calister was head of development at Rock’n Robin from 2018 to 2022
then was executive VP of content at TOGETHXR
a media company founded by Olympians Alex Morgan
She previously worked at HBO Documentary Films.
Carr was director of current at TOGETHXR.
Launching in 2014, Rock’n Robin programs include The Great War and The Harlem Hellfighters on History.
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Michael MaloneSocial Links NavigationMichael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News
He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming
cable and streaming; and local broadcast television
including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles
He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times
the Vice Prime Minister for the Recovery of Ukraine and the Minister for Communities and Territorial Development of Ukraine visited the "Reni - Giurgiulești" border crossing point with Moldova
This is one of the key logistical hubs connecting Ukraine with Moldova and Romanian ports
border crossing points have become not only infrastructure objects but also a strategic part of our logistics
They provide a reliable route for the transportation of goods
and strengthening ties with our partners," said Oleksii Kuleba
Thanks to the implementation of joint Ukrainian-Moldovan control
border crossing time has become 30% faster for passenger cars and buses
"Convenience for people and efficiency for business are our priorities
Strengthening the border is an investment in our economy
and Ukraine's European integration," Kuleba noted
the parties discussed work already carried out at the border crossing points
They also outlined strategic tasks for the development of the border crossing points in the near future
News of the play coming to London earlier this year provoked condemnation from British government officials
it follows three mixed-race couples on a retreat
working through their relationship issues by way of “Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy”
This is an entirely made-up practice that seems to be informed by BDSM
and has the couples exploring master-slave dynamics in a pre-Civil War cotton plantation setting
complete with historically accurate costumes
The Black people in each couple are suffering from anhedonia
a very real concept first coined by French psychologist Théodule-Armand Ribot to describe living a life devoid of pleasure
The unhappy couples are guided by two queer women..
Inside this organised chaos are two Black characters written with care
Kaneisha is a Black woman in a relationship with an upper-class white British man named Jim
and Gary is a gay Black man in a relationship with a pale-skinned Latinx man named Dustin
Both characters deliver monologues that rip at the heart
laying bare sex lives weighed down by racism
Gary feels that he isn’t truly seen by his partner
Kaneisha is desperate for her white partner to relinquish control
but she can barely find the words to express herself
There’s been a lot of discussion about whether Slave Play could truly resonate with a British audience
but the inclusion of Jim as a character challenges this idea
His rage is classically posh and British – brittle
He is one of the production’s most consistently objectionable white characters
an actor tormented by his own widespread sex appeal
“To always be put on a pedestal as a hunk is slightly demeaning.”) Slave Play closes with an extended sex scene in which Jim is completely naked and psychologically terrifying
I left the theatre feeling disturbed and disorientated
I was asked to give a live reaction to camera
Casting a heartthrob in a role that ultimately frightens the audience feels like a trick to leave us all sexually confused and questioning our own desire – although I suspect that is the point
This is a play that pushes both its characters and its audience to the edge
We watch as the couples on stage have intense
and frantic monologues full of fragmented speech create a tension that is only partially relieved by some well-placed comedic staging and writing
The actors perform in front of mirrored walls
which reflect your own appalled reactions back to you
I was sitting next to a reviewer diligently taking notes
whose polite coughs descended into an uncontrollable spluttering fit halfway through the play
He was clearly experiencing some level of physical discomfort
I could see the tears gathering in his eyes
We join the couples in the middle of their therapy
at a point when each character is on the brink of losing control
reaching for long words and untrustworthy declarations of empathy as they desperately try to maintain control of the room
Couples therapy content has blown up on the internet in recent years
Relationships therapist Esther Perel is a celebrity in her own right
Her call to end defensiveness in relationship dynamics – “you can be right
or you can be married!” – encapsulates so much of her no-nonsense charm
This sort of content’s appeal is undeniable
We love seeing other people’s relationship dynamics laid bare
We gasp at the indignities people will endure in the name of staying together
We marvel at the saint-like patience of the therapists navigating the room
these real life dynamics are fictionalised
Sometimes they are ratcheted up for comedic effect
But the core of most relationship problems are there
Playwright Jeremy O Harris successfully wound up the former government when it was announced earlier this year that Slave Play would host Black Out nights, which no white audience members could attend. The news prompted a statement from 10 Downing Street, who called the plan “wrong and divisive”
leading many people to dismiss Slave Play as needlessly provocative rage bait
and I admire his commitment to emotional honesty in this play
I found myself looking at my watch more than once
unforgiving caricatures of the more solipsistic aspects of racial trauma discourse did not make me smile
I’m all for a critique of the more navel-gazing branches of anti-racism (when lives are still blighted by structural racism that limits access to employment
looking at our own belly-buttons can only get us so far)
Deconstructing desire goes some way in challenging racism
but it doesn’t stop children growing up in poverty
I can accept that not everyone has the stomach for graphic simulated sex scenes and the frequent use of racial slurs
I can also accept that not everyone will be acclimatised to these conversations about race
But the fact that it shocks does not mean that this play is not thoughtful
All sex in an unequal society is about power
even if the people engaging in it think that they’re not kinky
Sex taking place in a heterosexual conservative household
between a wife who stays at home and a breadwinning husband
When she relies on him for food and shelter
she doesn’t need to be physically tied up to know she can’t escape
There are Black people who don’t date interracially who might dismiss this play as not being relevant to them
You don’t have to date and sleep with white people to know what it feels like to be objectified by them
Emotional and sexual intimacy simply brings these things into sharp focus
Slave Play’s “provocative” reputation frustrates me in a way that feels all too familiar
The term is a straightjacket placed upon Black creative self-expression
It assumes that we do this work just to upset people
It ignores the fact that we might want to have some conversations among ourselves
that we might be creating art and plays and books and writing to make sense of the world
because part of an artist’s job is to dig out the emotions that many experience
perhaps during one of its much maligned Black Out nights
Slave Play is at Noël Coward Theatre until 21 September
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