The gene-editing technology known as CRISPR has attracted much excitement and investor interest with its potential to someday treat diseases by fixing faulty copies of genes. But recently, a different approach called RNA editing, which could offer advantages over CRISPR, has been gaining ground in academic labs and start-ups, according to an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society.
RNA editing uses an enzyme called ADAR to make precise edits to RNA, the shorter-lived cousin to DNA that acts as a blueprint for proteins. Researchers direct ADAR to specific RNAs with a guide sequence attached to the enzyme. Unlike CRISPR gene editing, the effects of RNA editing are reversible because cells are constantly making new copies of RNA. Therefore, RNA editing avoids the risks of permanent gene editing with CRISPR, writes Assistant Editor Ryan Cross, and could also be used to treat temporary conditions, such as pain or inflammation.
However, finding an easy way to control how ADAR makes its edits has been challenging. Researchers have tried chemically attaching ADAR to a guide RNA, adding an RNA-binding protein or even linking the catalytic portion of ADAR to the bacterial Cas9 enzyme used in CRISPR. However, these approaches require getting the modified enzymes into human cells. Some researchers are working on using human cells’ own ADAR for RNA editing, by introducing chemically modified guide RNAs that recruit the editing enzyme and direct it to specific RNAs. With researchers and investors becoming increasingly interested in this approach, RNA editing could someday give CRISPR a run for its money, Cross writes.
The article, “Watch out, CRISPR. The RNA editing race is on,” is freely available here.
Learn more: Interest in RNA editing heats up
The Latest on: RNA editing
[google_news title=”” keyword=”RNA editing” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: RNA editing
- DNA Synthesis Approaches: Will New Methods Stand The Test Of Time?on April 24, 2024 at 6:00 am
Both chemical and enzymatic synthesis companies need to continue working to overcome their respective hurdles.
- Wave Life Gains On Progress Reporton April 23, 2024 at 10:18 am
This is Why Gold Could Rally All the Way to $3,000 JetBlue Outlook Drops, Share Prices With it Walmart Division Announces Paymen ...
- ProQR defends RNA editing platform at EPOon April 23, 2024 at 8:31 am
Dutch biotech ProQR has successfully defended a patent covering its ribonucleic acid (RNA) editing platform Axiomer, following an opposition at the European Patent Office (EPO) filed in June 2021. On ...
- Wave Life Sciences Announces Continued Momentum in GSK Collaboration and Advancements in siRNA and RNA Editingon April 23, 2024 at 7:30 am
GSK has selected the first two programs to advance following achievement of target validation, marking transition to next phase of research ...
- ProQR Highlights Upcoming Presentations on Axiomer™ RNA Editing at ASGCT 27th Annual Meetingon April 22, 2024 at 3:32 pm
ProQR Therapeutics NV (Nasdaq: PRQR) (ProQR), a company dedicated to changing lives through transformative RNA therapies, today announced it will present new preclinical data for its proprietary ...
- ProQR retains key patent for RNA editing technologyon April 19, 2024 at 9:20 am
has upheld its patent rights for its Axiomer RNA editing platform following a challenge at the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO's Opposition Division maintained the company's patent EP 3 507 366 ...
- ProQR retains key patent for RNA editing technologyon April 19, 2024 at 4:18 am
has upheld its patent rights for its Axiomer RNA editing platform following a challenge at the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO's Opposition Division maintained the company's patent EP 3 507 ...
- RNA-editing drugs advance into clinical trialson April 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The company is set to start dosing patients with the disease shortly. A growing list of biotechs are setting their sights on similar RNA-editing opportunities (Table 1).
- Novel Insights into RNA Modification in HIV-1 Revealedon April 11, 2024 at 8:41 pm
Chemical modification in the HIV-1 RNA genome is now confirmed to be key to the virus’s ability to survive and thrive.
- Study confirms how RNA chemical modifications benefit HIV-1on April 11, 2024 at 10:10 am
A chemical modification in the HIV-1 RNA genome whose function has been a matter of scientific debate is now confirmed to be key to the virus's ability to survive and thrive after infecting host cells ...
via Bing News