Cody Geary and Kirill A. Afonin
Three different RNA objects rendered from molecular computer models: from left, RNA antiprism composed of eight RNAs, a six-stranded RNA cube, and a 10-stranded RNA cube. Bottom row, the corresponding three-dimensional reconstructions of the objects obtained from cryo-electron microscopy.
(NHI Nanoblog) Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are working on using nanobiotechnology to fight cancer and other illnesses, as outlined in two recently published scientific papers.
Both studies outline the creation and use of nanosize RNA “scaffolds” that assemble themselves into different shapes. Once these “nanocubes” are created, they could then be used to deliver medical therapies.
Luc Jaeger, a UCSB professor of chemistry and biochemistry and the leader of the research team, said in a university press release that because this strategy uses RNA, a component of human cells, it would be safer than other efforts that use synthetic materials. Jaeger called his team’s work “green nanobiotechnology.”
Nanotechnology has wide promise in fields ranging from medicine to construction, but the potential risks are still being explored.
The first study, published this summer in the journal Nature Chemistry, discusses the design of some of these three-dimensional particles. The second, published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, delves deeper into the design and formation of the particles.
According to the UCSB press release, the research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and the two institutions are jointly applying for a patent on the technology.