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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Key to treating neurodegenerative prion diseases may lie in ribosome, shows research

New research results from Uppsala University, Sweden, show that the key to treating neurodegenerative prion diseases such as mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may lie in the ribosome, the protein synthesis machinery of the cell. The results were recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

2 Jul 2013

Idera Pharmaceuticals reports Phase 1 clinical trial results of IMO-8400

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced results of a Phase 1 clinical trial of IMO-8400, a first-in-class antagonist of Toll-like Receptors 7, 8, and 9 being developed for potential applications in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

2 Jul 2013

Teva signs agreement with Verinata Health for commercialization of verifi prenatal test in Israel

Illumina, Inc. today announced that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. signed an exclusive agreement with Verinata Health, an Illumina company, for the commercialization of the verifi non-invasive prenatal test in Israel.

1 Jul 2013

Tiny RNA molecules work as powerful regulators of immune response in mammals

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a family of tiny RNA molecules that work as powerful regulators of the immune response in mammals. Mice who lack these RNA molecules lose their normal infection-fighting ability, whereas mice that overproduce them develop a fatal autoimmune syndrome.

1 Jul 2013

Synthetic biology technology could lead to new antibiotics, modified protein-generators

Synthetic biology researchers at Northwestern University, working with partners at Harvard Medical School, have for the first time synthesized ribosomes -- cell structures responsible for generating all proteins and enzymes in our bodies -- from scratch in a test tube.

30 Jun 2013

Berkeley Lab scientists create atomic-scale structure of ribosome

This may look like a tangle of squiggly lines, but you're actually looking at a molecular machine called a ribosome. Its job is to translate DNA sequences into proteins, the workhorse compounds that sustain you and all living things.

29 Jun 2013

RUCDR Infinite Biologics receives $44.5 million Cooperative Agreement award from NIMH centre

RUCDR Infinite Biologics, the world's largest university-based biorepository, received a $44.5 million Cooperative Agreement award from the National Institute of Mental Health earlier this month to support its NIMH Center for Collaborative Genomics Research on Mental Disorders, which provides services to NIMH-funded scientists engaged in genomic research on mental disorders.

28 Jun 2013

Study: Children with Crohn's disease have enterovirus in their intestines

A new study reveals that all children with Crohn's disease that were examined had a commonly occurring virus - an enterovirus - in their intestines. This link has previously not been shown for this chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder. The findings are being published today in the latest issue of the international journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.

28 Jun 2013

TSRI scientists identify small molecules to control genetic defect responsible for muscular dystrophy

For the first time, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified small molecules that allow for complete control over a genetic defect responsible for the most common adult onset form of muscular dystrophy.

28 Jun 2013

Genetic elements from plants entering into eater's bloodstream turn out to be 'false positive'

In 2011 and 2012, research from China's Nanjing University made international headlines with reports that after mice ate, bits of genetic material from the plants they'd ingested could make it into their bloodstreams intact and turn the animals' own genes off.

27 Jun 2013

Scientists compare DNA sequences, genes of domestic and wild tomatoes

You say tomato, I say comparative transcriptomics. Researchers in the U.S., Europe and Japan have produced the first comparison of both the DNA sequences and which genes are active, or being transcribed, between the domestic tomato and its wild cousins.

27 Jun 2013

New study explains how the brain maintains zinc balance during embryonic development

A new study helps explain how parts of the brain maintain their delicate balance of zinc, an element required in minute but crucial doses, particularly during embryonic development.

27 Jun 2013

Prader-Willi syndrome results in dysregulation of circadian and metabolic genes

Researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute and Agilent Laboratories have found that Prader-Willi syndrome - a genetic disorder best known for causing an insatiable appetite that can lead to morbid obesity - is associated with the loss of non-coding RNAs, resulting in the dysregulation of circadian and metabolic genes, accelerated energy expenditure and metabolic differences during sleep.

26 Jun 2013

UW receives $10 million to develop paper-based pathogen identification test

The University of Washington has received nearly $10 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to continue a project aimed at building a small, paper-based device that could test for infectious diseases on-demand in areas where diagnostic capabilities are limited.

26 Jun 2013

Study suggests new ways to maximize delivery of RNA strands

Nanoparticles that deliver short strands of RNA offer a way to treat cancer and other diseases by shutting off malfunctioning genes. Although this approach has shown some promise, scientists are still not sure exactly what happens to the nanoparticles once they get inside their target cells.

25 Jun 2013

Researchers find RNA molecule that interferes with lipoprotein production, reduces hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia, a condition with high levels of fats circulating in the bloodstream, is a known risk factor for various cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. While the Western diet often contributes to high levels of lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides, over-production of the body's own lipoproteins can lead to hyperlipidemia, independent of food intake.

25 Jun 2013

Alnylam presents new pre-clinical data of ALN-CC5 for treatment of complement-mediated diseases

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has presented new pre-clinical data with ALN-CC5, an RNAi therapeutic targeting complement component C5.

21 Jun 2013

New blood test finds cancer-related microRNA in blood before tumor development

A new blood test developed in the Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Lab at Baylor Research Institute is showing very promising results for finding cancer-related microRNA in the blood before a tumor develops in the colon.

19 Jun 2013

New technique offers potential to screen patients for viruses

In research published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Saint Louis University researchers describe a technology that can detect new, previously unknown viruses. The technique offers the potential to screen patients for viruses even when doctors have not identified a particular virus as the likely source of an infection.

18 Jun 2013

New study identifies possible treatment to block deposition of calcium in arterial wall

HGPS is a rare genetic disease that affects one in every 4-8 million births. The disease is caused by a spontaneous mutation in one of the two copies (alleles) of the gene LMNA, which codes for lamin A, a protein important for the integrity and function of the envelope surrounding the cell nucleus. The mutation causes incorrect processing of the messenger RNA for lamin proteins, resulting in the synthesis of an anomalous protein, called progerin.

18 Jun 2013

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Key to treating neurodegenerative prion diseases may lie in ribosome, shows research

Idera Pharmaceuticals reports Phase 1 clinical trial results of IMO-8400

Teva signs agreement with Verinata Health for commercialization of verifi prenatal test in Israel

Tiny RNA molecules work as powerful regulators of immune response in mammals

Synthetic biology technology could lead to new antibiotics, modified protein-generators

Berkeley Lab scientists create atomic-scale structure of ribosome

RUCDR Infinite Biologics receives $44.5 million Cooperative Agreement award from NIMH centre

Study: Children with Crohn's disease have enterovirus in their intestines

TSRI scientists identify small molecules to control genetic defect responsible for muscular dystrophy

Genetic elements from plants entering into eater's bloodstream turn out to be 'false positive'

Scientists compare DNA sequences, genes of domestic and wild tomatoes

New study explains how the brain maintains zinc balance during embryonic development

Prader-Willi syndrome results in dysregulation of circadian and metabolic genes

UW receives $10 million to develop paper-based pathogen identification test

Study suggests new ways to maximize delivery of RNA strands

Researchers find RNA molecule that interferes with lipoprotein production, reduces hyperlipidemia

Alnylam presents new pre-clinical data of ALN-CC5 for treatment of complement-mediated diseases

New blood test finds cancer-related microRNA in blood before tumor development

New technique offers potential to screen patients for viruses

New study identifies possible treatment to block deposition of calcium in arterial wall

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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