Messenger RNA (mRNA) News and Research

RSS

Study explains why fetuses and newborns are mostly spared by COVID-19

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, it has been previously suggested that the most vulnerable individuals to developing severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include the elderly, those with underlying health conditions, and those who have weakened immune systems.

15 Jul 2020

Unique nanoparticle can reduce side effects, increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment

A unique nanoparticle to deliver a localized cancer treatment inhibits tumor growth in mice, according to a team of Penn State researchers.

8 Jul 2020

Tiny balls of minerals are better vehicles for promising mRNA-based therapy

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have developed a safer and more efficient way to deliver a promising new method for treating cancer and liver disorders and for vaccination -- including a COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna Therapeutics that has advanced to clinical trials with humans.

2 Jul 2020

Study unravels role of a protein in osteoclast generation

Bone-dissolving cells called osteoclasts are derived from a type of immune cells called macrophages. They are necessary for the maintenance and renewal of bones.

9 Jun 2020

Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine candidate shows promise in phase I trial

Moderna, who partnered with the National Institutes of Health, announced that its candidate vaccine appeared to be safe when administered to eight healthy volunteers. The vaccine also stimulated an immune response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

20 May 2020

First COVID-19-related clinical trial to start in Germany

German regulators have approved the first clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. Developed by BioNTech SE, an immunotherapy company, and Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company, the potential coronavirus vaccine has completed pre-clinical studies in Germany.

24 Apr 2020

Researchers discover unique structure and function of rotavirus VP3 protein

After eluding researchers for more than 30 years, the VP3 protein of rotavirus has finally revealed its unique structure and function to a team led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine.

17 Apr 2020

World's largest protein connection map reveals cell workings

The human body is comprised of billions of cells. Yet it functions and grows as a single organism, because of trillions of interactions that help various cells recognize and respond to each other via different molecules on their surface or inside the cells. Now, a new study published in the journal Nature in April 2020 describes the first-ever interactome map, to help distinguish healthy interactions and disease-producing ones.

8 Apr 2020

Synthetic mRNA nanoparticles restore tumor suppressor gene, make cancer cells susceptible to drugs

In preclinical experiments, investigators restored p53 using synthetic mRNA nanoparticles, making lung and liver cancer cells susceptible to available cancer drugs.

23 Dec 2019

Scientists solve 3D structure of vaccinia virus RNA polymerase

For viruses to multiply, they usually need the support of the cells they infect. In many cases, only in their host's nucleus can they find the machines, enzymes and building blocks with which they can multiply their genetic material before infecting other cells.

12 Dec 2019

Extensive tumor protein analysis reveals potential new players in cancer

Looking to gain a deeper understanding of cancer, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine conducted an extensive computational analysis of the similarities and differences in the entire set of proteins, called the proteome, of more than 500 cancers from five different tissue sites.

12 Dec 2019

Scientists discover new principle for activation of cancer genes

Researchers have long known that some genes can cause cancer when overactive, but exactly what happens inside the cell nucleus when the cancer grows has so far remained enigmatic.

2 Dec 2019

Researchers discover metabolic vulnerability in cancer cells with mutated spliceosomes

A research team from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center reports it has discovered a metabolic vulnerability in multiple types of cancer cells that bear a common genetic mutation affecting cellular machines called spliceosomes.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 3 Oct 2019

Penn researchers develop novel vaccine to protect against genital herpes

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a vaccine to protect against genital herpes.

20 Sep 2019

Discovery opens up new opportunities to understand the genetics of cancer

University of Delaware molecular biologist Mona Batish and collaborators at Harvard Medical School and University of California, Los Angeles, have identified a new circular ribonucleic acid (RNA) that increases tumor activity in soft tissue and connective tissue tumors.

13 Sep 2019

'Junk' DNA mutations highly significant in autism and stroke

Non-coding DNA, junk DNA, genetic dark matter – these are all names for the 98% of DNA that doesn’t directly code for proteins but is crucial in regulating protein synthesis. This is now the focus of a large new study published in the journal Nature Genetics.

25 Jul 2019

Altered protein and mutated clusters of genes in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis and treatment has been a challenge and this is mainly due to the varying degrees of degeneration and cognitive damage seen in different patients. The researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine for the first time used the transcriptome to assess the proteins made from the genes in patients with AD, that could help in diagnosis.

23 Jul 2019

Nanoparticles used to deliver CRISPR gene editing tools into the cell

Researchers from Tufts University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a novel method to effectively deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) associated protein 9) gene editing tools into the liver for genetic studies.

15 Jul 2019

Engineered stem cells offer new treatment for metastatic bone cancer

Engineered stem cells could help treat metastatic cancers in bone without killing normal surrounding bone.

9 Jul 2019

RNA-binding protein SRSF3 appears to be key factor for proper heart contraction, survival

A team of scientists led by Dr Enrique Lara Pezzi at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares has identified the RNA-binding protein SRSF3 as an essential factor for proper heart contraction and survival.

9 Jul 2019