New Invention Produces More Pure RNA at a Fraction of the Cost
The Future of Medicine: New Invention Produces More Pure RNA at a Fraction of the Cost
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently revealed their discovery of a new RNA production process. The RNA resulting from this process is purer, more copious, and probably more economical than any other process currently in existence. This new technique removes the biggest hurdle on the path to next-generation RNA therapeutic drugs.
Advancements in RNA Treatment: A Cost-Effective Approach to Producing Pure RNA
If DNA is the blueprint that tells the cells in our bodies what proteins to make and of what functions, RNA is the carrier that carries DNA’s guideline to the actual protein-making machinery within each cell. The majority of the time this procedure works faultlessly, yet when it doesn’t, when the body can’t make a healthy protein it requires, as in the case of an illness like cystic fibrosis, significant ailment can result.
One way to treat these protein deficiencies is to use treatments that replace the deficient protein. But researchers have long known that it would be more effective if the body could produce the proteins it needs. This is the goal of RNA treatment, a new medical field. The problem is that current methods of producing RNA in the laboratory cannot cost-effectively deliver pure RNA in sufficient quantities. “We need a lot of RNA,” says Elvan Cavaç, the lead author of a recently published treatise. Journal of Biological Chemistry, He is an MBA student at UMass Amherst, and recently completed his PhD in Chemistry at UMass. “We have developed a new process for producing pure RNA. This process can reuse your components and produce 3 to 10 times more RNA than traditional methods, saving time and money. I can. “
Revolutionizing RNA Production: A Breakthrough in Making Clean RNA
The problem with impure RNA is that it can cause harmful reactions such as bloating and even fatal reactions. For example, impure RNA can cause inflammation in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Traditionally produced RNA requires a time-consuming and expensive purification process. “There is no need to purify RNA, and Craig Martin, the lead author of this article and professor of chemistry at UMass, said: “I have discovered a way to make clean RNA from scratch. “
The process detailed by Cavaç, Martin and their co-authors begins with increasing the salinity of the solution in which the RNA is produced. This suppresses uncontrolled RNA production that leads to impurities. In this process, an enzyme called T7 RNA polymerase is “attached” to thin magnetic beads, along with a DNA promoter template, which is a specific DNA sequence that encodes a specific RNA. An interaction between a polymerase and the DNA promoter produces RNA that is purified by specific saline. “Our method can be more than 10 times better at producing pure RNA than the current process,” says Martin.
Cavaç, Martin and their colleagues are now looking for experiments that will allow them to increase RNA production to meet society’s need. “The real goal here is to have a ‘flow reactor’, a continuous pipeline that can slowly deliver components and continuously deliver pure RNA at the other end.”Martin says
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center and the Manning Innovation Program at UMass Amherst.