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https://doi.org/10.53941/hm.2024.100007
Dwivedi, V., & Yun-Xing Wang. RNA Devices for Therapeutic Applications: Progress, Challenges and Future Perspective. Health and Metabolism. 2024, 1(1), 7. doi: https://doi.org/10.53941/hm.2024.100007
Volume 1, Issue 1, Dec 2024
Copyright (c) 2024 by the authors.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Review

RNA Devices for Therapeutic Applications: Progress, Challenges and Future Perspective

Vibha Dwivedi * and Yun-Xing Wang

Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA

* Correspondence: vibha.dwivedi@nih.gov

Received: 10 October 2024; Revised: 21 October 2024; Accepted: 30 October 2024; Published: 1 November 2024

Abstract: Advances in RNA structural biology and engineering have stimulated thinking of using engineered RNA devices for precision cell and gene therapy. The RNA devices provide distinct advantages over existing approaches. Riboswitches, the key element in RNA devices, are regulatory structural elements found within mRNA in all three kingdoms of life but mostly in bacteria to sense the concentrations of small molecule metabolites, pathway products, uncharged tRNA and elemental ions for regulation of gene expression. Because of non-immunogenicity and several other advantages, riboswitches are considered to be a promising tool that may have significant implications in medicine and health. This review will provide an overview on the structural studies of key motifs critical for RNA device functions and some of the pioneering works aimed at developing RNA based therapeutics for medicine.

Keywords:

RNA aptamer RNA devices aptazyme precision medicine cell and gene therapy noncoding RNA

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