The eighth video released of the “RNA Explained Series”, is on RNA modifications and their role for mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. For their discovery, the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded.
How did a tiny chemical change to RNA revolutionize modern medicine? For decades, scientists dreamed of using messenger RNA (mRNA) to treat diseases. The potential was enormous. However, there was a hurdle for certain applications: our immune system.
When foreign mRNA enters a cell, it is usually recognized as a threat, triggering an immune response that blocks its function or destroys it entirely. It was discovered that subtle chemical modifications to the RNA building blocks—specifically replacing the base uridine with N1-methylpseudouridine—allowed the mRNA to slip past the cell's sensors undetected.
This "stealth" technology was important to developing effective COVID-19 vaccines in record time, and it is now being harnessed to create new therapies for cancer, infectious diseases, and rare genetic disorders.
English subtitles are available on YouTube.