A team from the University of Warsaw has developed a technique that chemically joins the ends of RNA molecules into stable circular structures, offering potential for more effective treatments for genetic diseases and the next generation of vaccines.
A team from the University of Warsaw has developed a technique that chemically joins the ends of RNA molecules into stable circular structures, offering potential for more effective treatments for genetic diseases and the next generation of vaccines.
RNA serves as a blueprint for cells to produce proteins. Normally, RNA is linear, with fragile 3’ and 5’ ends. The Polish researchers are the first in the world to propose a chemical method for converting RNA into a ring.
“We permanently join the ends, the weakest links of the molecule, making the RNA more stable and longer-lasting in the cell,” said Professor Jacek Jemielity from the Centre of New Technologies at the University of Warsaw in an interview with the Polish Press Agency.
The method, called chem-circRNA, works with RNA molecules of any length, up to 4,000 nucleotides. Encapsulation efficiency is approximately 60%, meaning three out of five molecules can be bound into a ring.
The technique is scalable and can be applied in industrial processes. The results of the team led by Jemielity and Joanna Kowalska were published in “Nature Communications”.
In cells, RNA functions as a temporary template for protein production before being degraded. Degradation typically begins at the ends of the RNA strand, where enzymes attach to break it down.
By joining the ends, these enzymes lose their anchor, allowing the RNA to function longer as a template for protein production.
A longer RNA lifespan could improve therapies for genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, color blindness, and other rare diseases. Delivering more stable RNA to cells would reduce the frequency of treatments, improving patient comfort and safety.
The importance of RNA in medicine was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mRNA vaccines delivered instructions for a fragment of the virus to cells, teaching the immune system to recognize the pathogen. “COVID vaccines, including those based on mRNA, have saved over 5 million people,” Jemielity noted.
The same approach could be applied in personalized cancer vaccines, where RNA encodes a protein that helps the body distinguish healthy cells from cancer cells, enhancing the immune response.
Although these circular RNAs are not literally round, their strands form a coiled ball without protruding ends. They retain all components required for protein production, including a starting “cap” and a termination signal, allowing ribosomes—the cellular protein factories—to read the instructions without hindrance.
Globally, scientists have been searching for ways to extend RNA lifespan and increase protein production efficiency. The Polish team believe their circular RNA offers a promising solution.
Ludwika Tomala (PAP)
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