Two research teams independently reported in the Oct. 5, 2022, issues of Nature (Duke University) and Nature Biotechnology (Stanford University) on the development of RNA sensing technologies designed to target cell-specific RNA sequences to form a double-stranded RNA:RNA hybrid that is then edited by endogenous ADAR proteins to remove a stop codon and ultimately enabled to express any protein placed within the construct. The target design typically starts from single-cell RNA transcriptomics data that previously identified cell-specific RNA transcriptomics.

Finding a vaccine that provides universal protection against seasonal influenza remains a public health priority. Although influenza neuraminidase (NA) undergoes slower antigenic changes than hemagglutinin (HA) and therefore constitutes a desirable vaccine target, NA standalone vaccination strategies present a limited breadth of NA immunity.

Microorganisms such as bacteria, sperm and microalgae have evolved to develop robust actuation systems that enable autonomous motion, and these natural cellular systems have recently emerged as attractive carriers for transporting therapeutics to hard-to-reach body locations.  According to a recent publication, researchers from University of California, San Diego have developed a novel algae-based motor platform, with the aim of addressing limitations of cargo delivery into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

The factors why the clinical outcomes during infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus are highly heterogenous remains poorly understood. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a secreted protein with roles in lipid metabolism; interestingly, APOE has been shown to modulate immunity, including infection and antitumor immunity.