RNA molecules, deliver genetic instructions from DNA to protein-making machinery. As well as carrying these instructions for making proteins, RNAs help to turn genes on and off, assist chemical reactions, slice and dice other RNAs, and even build proteins — by transporting amino acids and linking them together. Scientists are beginning to tap into the potential of RNA-based therapeutics as new ways to combat diseases.
At the RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) at UMass Chan Medical School, we aim to harness the flow of genetic information (i.e. RNA or DNA) to treat the root cause of disease. Learn more about how we develop therapeutics at the RTI and about the discovery that won RTI's Craig Mello the Nobel Prize for RNA interference (RNAi).
RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural process where small pieces of RNA can shut down protein translation by binding to the messenger RNAs that code for those proteins. Learn more about RNAi and how it's like the cell's own google search.
Learn more about the science of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, how they work and why they are safe!
