RNA drugs are the next frontier of medicine, but manufacturing them requires an expensive and labor-intensive process that limits production and produces metric tons of toxic chemical waste.
Researchers report a new, enzyme-based RNA synthesis method that can produce strands of RNA with both natural and modified nucleotides without the environmental hazards.
A team of scientists at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School has created a solution to this problem: a new RNA synthesis process that expands the RNA therapeutic design space and unlocks the potential for rapid scale-up that chemical synthesis cannot achieve Their novel method can produce RNA with efficiencies and purities comparable to current industry standards using water and enzymes rather than the toxic solvents and explosive catalysts that plague current...
This work formed the basis for a Validation Project at the Wyss Institute in 2019 and 2020, when it was de-risked and prepared for commercialization. Also in 2020, the project became the first to be supported through the Wyss Institute's partnership with Northpond Labsthe Laboratory for Bioengineering Research and Innovation, based upon its potential for significant real-world impact.
"RNA drugs offer a powerful new treatment approach for a huge range of diseases. However, current manufacturing methods for these drugs are limited in terms of the chemical diversity they can produce, the amount of material that can be produced at a reasonable cost, and their negative impact on the environment due to the harsh chemicals they require.
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