Researchers from the University of Warsaw under the guidance of prof. Jacek Jemielity, dr hab. Joanna Kowalska and dr Paweł Sikorski developed a new method for efficient production of mRNA. The scientists described the results of the research in the prestigious magazine “Nucleic Acids Research”. The article was recognized by reviewers as a breakthrough in the development of science.
Scientists from the University of Warsaw under the supervision of prof. Jacek Jemielity described a new method of efficient production of messenger RNA (mRNA), which differ in the type of first transcribed nucleotide. In messenger RNAs obtained to date by the most commonly used method, the first transcribed nucleotide is guanosine. The scientist from UW discovered that replacement of guanosine with another nucleotide up to 60-fold increases the level of protein biosynthesis in dendritic cells, i.e. cells that are key to the mechanism of action of so-called cancer vaccines.
The publication received the status of “Breakthrough Paper” – a groundbreaking article for the development of science – due to the recommendations of the reviewers of the Nucleic Acids Research journal. Research opens up new opportunities in designing messenger RNAs that have biological properties superior to anything previously developed in this field.
– Therapeutic mRNA is one of the most intensively explored research areas in the field of combating cancer, viral infections, and rare genetic diseases. One of the main challenges in this field is to minimize the dose of mRNA while obtaining a sufficient therapeutic effect. Our research reveals a new direction in the design of therapeutic mRNA. Further technologies improving mRNA properties, based on published results, are already being developed in our Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory at the Center of New Technologies and the Faculty of Physics and through the UW spin-off company ExploRNA Therapeutics, created together with researchers from the Medical University of Warsaw – explains prof. Jacek Jemielity from the Center of New Technologies UW.
Nucleic Acids Research is a scientific journal with a mission to provide outstanding, scientist-led evaluation and dissemination of the highest caliber research across a wide range of disciplines focused on the role of nucleic acids and nucleic acid interacting molecules in cellular and molecular biology. Breakthrough articles at NAR describe studies that solve a long-standing problem in their field, or provide exceptional new insight and understanding into an area of research that will clearly motivate and guide new research opportunities and directions.
The text of publications of UW scientists is available on the Nucleic Acids Research website.
Source: https://www.uw.edu.pl/przelomowa-publikacja-naukowcow-z-uw/.
