Tel Aviv University researchers use RNA nanodrugs to target and silence a gene causing ovarian cancer metastasis

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have achieved a significant breakthrough in the fight against ovarian cancer through the use of RNA nanodrugs. The new therapy successfully silenced a specific gene responsible for metastasizing and aggressively multiplying cancer cells, which traditionally proves resistant to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The breakthrough could provide a lifeline for patients for whom all other options have been exhausted. Although ovarian cancer is relatively rare, it is one of the deadliest malignancies for women and is particularly prevalent among Ashkenazi Jewish women, who are more susceptible to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations that result in the disease developing. There is no reliable ovarian cancer screening method, and symptoms often go unnoticed, leading to advanced-stage diagnosis and a low five-year survival rate. However, RNA nanodrugs provide hope for a cure, and clinical trials for human use could be just two to three years away.