Scientists at Rutgers University–Newark have developed a new RNA-based nanotechnology that assembles itself inside living human cells and can be programmed to stop the growth of harmful cells. The research, which has been accepted for publication in Nature Communications, is being tested on human cancer cells as a possible cure for cancer, but results from these tests are not yet available.
According to Rutgers, this technology was tested in human cell cultures and can serve as a molecular tool for both biomedical research and therapeutics. Its design allows it to target several harmful genes and proteins at once because it can be customized.
The project is led by Professor Fei Zhang from the Department of Chemistry and Professor Jean-Pierre Etchegaray from the Department of Biological Sciences at Rutgers-Newark, along with an interdisciplinary team. “We are providing the method, a new design strategy for artificial RNA structures with programmable functions,” said Zhang.
Cells operate based on instructions stored in DNA, while RNA acts as a messenger carrying those instructions. The innovation from the Rutgers–Newark team involves giving cells a synthetic DNA template so that artificial RNA can fold and assemble into specific shapes within the cell. These assembled RNA structures carry functional domains that can be reprogrammed for various biomedical uses.
A key feature of this approach is that these artificial RNAs are generated and assembled inside the cell rather than being synthesized outside and delivered in. The pieces act like small Lego blocks that automatically connect inside the cell. They can also be redesigned into different geometries with new functions.
Etchegaray noted that this capability is important for treating cancer since many faulty genes work together to drive the disease. By customizing the RNA structures to recognize signals specific to diseased cells, healthy cells may be spared.
The researchers have begun using their technology to try disabling cancer stem cells—the type thought responsible for starting cancers and making them resistant to treatment—by targeting oncogenes linked to tumor growth. “We are trying right now to use this technology to target oncogenes and see if we can disable cancer stem cells, which are considered cancer initiating and propagating cells with therapeutic resistance,’’ Etchegaray said. “They will no longer be able to promote tumor growth, metastasis and even relapse,’’ said Etchegaray.
Most current RNA therapies focus on one molecule at a time; however, this platform could interact with multiple targets simultaneously—a development Zhang and Etchegaray describe as unprecedented in biotechnology applications. The technology could also enhance existing RNA therapies by integrating traditional therapeutic fragments into their platforms. “We can integrate fragments and functional sequences from the traditional RNA therapeutics into our platforms,” Zhang said.
The researchers hold an approved provisional patent for their invention and are seeking investors, industry collaborators, and research partners for further development including clinical trials. “If we can have more people on board and attract different interest from partners, that will make this going forward faster,” said Zhang.
Etchegaray added: “Apart from cancer, we can customize this nanotechnology to target other diseases driven by misexpression of genes and proteins.”
