Cells create messages using the language of RNA to translate our genetic code into proteins. Those RNA messages are in constant need of editing to help avoid cancer and other diseases. That editing process is crucial for health, but it has always been impossible to observe in close detail — until now.
A team of chemists at Washington University in St. Louis led by graduate student Alex Quillin in Arts & Sciences has developed a test called EndoVIA that makes it possible to precisely track individual edits in cells, an advance that could lead to a new understanding of the origins of many illnesses.
“Our lab is really excited by the development,” Quillin said. “We’ve never been able to pinpoint edited RNA in cells until now.”
The team’s new technique could help scientists worldwide identify novel targets for cancer therapies. The groundbreaking findings were published in the journal ACS Central Science. Co-authors include Jennifer Heemstra, the Charles Allen Thomas Professor of Chemistry, and Benoit Arnould, a postdoctoral research associate.
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