RNA | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
WEBSep 16, 2024 · Nanoparticle-delivered RNA reduces neuroinflammation in lab tests. MIT researchers find that in mice and human cell cultures, lipid nanoparticles can deliver a potential therapy for inflammation in the brain, a prominent symptom in Alzheimer’s. December 15, 2023. Read full story.
Convenience-sized RNA editing - MIT News
WEBMay 31, 2022 · The discovery of Cas7-11 opened the doors to a more precise form of RNA editing, analogous to the Cas9 enzyme for DNA. However, the massive Cas7-11 protein was too big to fit inside a single viral vector — the empty shell of a virus that researchers typically use to deliver gene editing machinery into patient’s cells. Structural insight.
Taking RNAi from interesting science to impactful new treatments
WEBMay 13, 2024 · Caption: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is translating the promise of RNA interference (RNAi) research into a new class of powerful, gene-based therapies. In this rendering, the green strand is the targeted mRNA, and the white object is the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) that can prevent the expression of the target mRNA’s proteins.
MIT engineers design more powerful RNA vaccines - MIT News
WEBSep 7, 2023 · By tweaking the design of the vaccines, the researchers showed that they could generate Covid-19 RNA vaccines that produce a stronger immune response, at a lower dose, in mice. Adjuvants are molecules commonly used to increase the immune response to vaccines, but they haven’t yet been used in RNA vaccines. In this study, the MIT researchers ...
Explained: RNA interference | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute …
WEBNov 12, 2009 · Through a naturally occurring phenomenon known as RNA interference, short strands of RNA can selectively intercept and destroy messenger RNA before it delivers its instructions. Scientists are now pursuing disease treatments based on RNA interference (RNAi), which offers the tantalizing ability to …
RNA molecules are masters of their own destiny - MIT News
WEBJan 5, 2021 · A collaboration between biologists and physicists suggests that RNA is a feedback regulator of its own production. Low concentrations of RNA lead to the formation of transcriptional condensates (represented here as bubbles), and high levels lead to the dissolution of those condensates. Credits. Image: …
Explained: Why RNA vaccines for Covid-19 raced to the front
WEBDec 11, 2020 · Developing and testing a new vaccine typically takes at least 12 to 18 months. However, just over 10 months after the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was published, two pharmaceutical companies applied for FDA emergency use authorization of vaccines that appear to be highly effective against the virus.
Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential - MIT News
WEBMar 27, 2024 · Many people believe the technology behind some Covid-19 vaccines, messenger RNA, holds great promise for stimulating immune responses to cancer. But using messenger RNA, or mRNA, to get the immune system to mount a prolonged and aggressive attack on cancer cells — while leaving healthy cells alone — has been a …
Engineers create an inhalable form of messenger RNA - MIT News
WEBJan 4, 2019 · Messenger RNA, which can induce cells to produce therapeutic proteins, holds great promise for treating a variety of diseases. The biggest obstacle to this approach so far has been finding safe and efficient ways to …
Researchers uncover a new CRISPR-like system in animals that
WEBJun 28, 2023 · Researchers have discovered the first programmable RNA-guided system discovered in eukaryotes. The technology, known as Fanzor, has the potential to be more easily delivered to cells and tissues than CRISPR-Cas systems, and further refinements could make them a valuable new technology for human genome editing.