Victor Ambrose and Gary Lovecorn’s discovery of miRNA… attracting attention as a key to treating incurable diseases
Domestic and foreign pharmaceutical and bio companies accelerate the development of anticancer drugs and rare disease treatments from vaccines using mRNA
The process by which genetic information flows from DNA to mRNA to protein. [사진=노벨 생리의학위원회]
[이코노믹데일리] This year, interest in RNA (ribonucleic acid) is growing as Professor Victor Ambrose of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Professor Gary Lovecorn of Harvard Medical School won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their first discovery of ‘micro RNA (miRNA)’. .
In particular, ‘miRNA (micro ribonucleic acid)’, which won the Nobel Prize, and ‘mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid)’, which is being actively developed in the domestic and foreign pharmaceutical and bio industries, are attracting attention.
RNA performs various physiological functions within cells and plays an essential role in gene expression and protein synthesis processes. In addition to miRNA and mRNA, there are many different types of RNA, including transfer RNA (tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), small nuclear RNA (snRNA), and small interfering RNA (siRNA), and each RNA performs a specific function.
Although both miRNA and mRNA are types of RNA, there are significant differences in their functions and structures. MiRNAs are short RNAs of 20 to 24 bases that do not encode proteins but regulate gene expression by binding to mRNA. It plays an essential role in important biological processes such as cell growth, development, differentiation, and metabolism, and has the potential as a treatment for various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.
mRNA, which is being actively developed by domestic and foreign pharmaceutical industries, plays a role in transmitting information for protein synthesis by transferring genetic information stored in DNA to ribosomes (cellular organelles responsible for protein synthesis by linking amino acids). Since it has the characteristic of being easily decomposed in the body, it is important to develop technology to increase its stability.
mRNA vaccines have become widely known to the public as they have been used in the development of COVID-19 vaccines. By injecting mRNA containing information about the virus’s spike protein into the body, it induces the immune system to recognize the spike protein as a foreign invader and produce antibodies. The antibodies produced in this way prevent infection by neutralizing the virus in the event of actual viral infection. In conclusion, mRNA vaccines use parts of the virus to increase our body’s immunity and increase defense against the virus without actual infection.
Status of development of treatments using mRNA technology by domestic pharmaceutical bio companies [사진=게티이미지뱅크 / 자료=각 사]
Compared to existing vaccines, mRNA vaccines have the advantage of a shorter development period and easier production. Recently, many domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies are accelerating the development of treatments for various diseases, such as anticancer drugs and rare disease treatments, as well as vaccines.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical is developing a ‘p53 mRNA anti-cancer new drug’ and a ‘KRAS mRNA anti-cancer vaccine’ using mRNA platform technology, and Green Cross is developing an mRNA flu vaccine and a treatment for ‘succinaldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (SSADHD)’. DX&VX is developing a treatment for incurable cancer using ‘circular mRNA’ anti-cancer vaccine technology.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical will present the results of its research on p53 mRNA anti-cancer new drug and KRAS mRNA anti-cancer vaccine using mRNA platform technology at the 2024 European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy held in Rome, Italy starting on the 22nd (local time).
p53 mRNA anti-cancer new drug is a targeted treatment for p53 mutant cancer. Mutations or deletions of the p53 gene, a tumor suppressor gene, are found in many cancer cells, which results in indiscriminate proliferation of cancer cells. Hanmi Pharmaceutical uses mRNA technology to deliver normal p53 mRNA to cancer cells and induce their death.
KRAS mRNA anticancer vaccine is an innovative immune anticancer vaccine that targets cancer cells with KRAS mutations. KRAS mutations are commonly found in various cancer types, including lung cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer, and are notoriously difficult to treat. Hanmi Pharmaceutical uses mRNA technology to induce the body to produce KRAS mutant protein, which allows the immune system to recognize, attack, and destroy KRAS mutant cancer cells.
Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s development of new KRAS drugs is an area that has not yet been fully explored by global pharmaceutical companies, and is attracting industry attention as it has great growth potential and can be applied to a variety of solid carcinomas.
Green Cross established the mRNA platform, its innovative new drug technology, and signed a contract with Aquitas Therapeutics to introduce lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, securing technology to increase mRNA delivery efficiency. Through this, various studies are being conducted, including the development of an mRNA flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine, a treatment for the rare disease succinaldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, and an anti-cancer vaccine.
DX&VX possesses circular mRNA anti-cancer vaccine technology that is more stable and effective than existing linear mRNA vaccines, and utilizes innovative lipid nanoparticle delivery system production process technology to develop its own mRNA anti-cancer vaccine candidate targeting incurable cancer. It is being developed.
