Uncovering the promise of circular RNA in next generation RNA based therapeutics
RNA stability is a key determinant in improving the efficacy of RNA based therapeutics. Through our pioneering work on nuclear export of RNA over the past 15 years, we have uncovered key mechanisms that modulate RNA export and the stability of RNA in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Many of these proteins are amplified in various types of cancer, underlying the importance of this cellular process in both fundamental RNA biology and in disease.
Recently, we have applied these principles to work out how circular RNAs, a subtype of RNA with great therapeutic potential, are exported from the nucleus. This work has uncovered a completely new mechanism for export that is distinct from export of mature mRNA. Our findings have important implications for the potential use of circular RNAs in therapeutics. We aim to make further advances in how biogenesis of circular RNAs is coupled to their export and stability, and be at the forefront in determining how circRNAs may play a role in the next generation of RNA based therapeutics.
