International Society of RNA Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine
Welcome!
Welcome to the ISRNN website,
RNA nanotechnology is the bottom-up self-assembly of nanometer-scale architectures made exclusively of RNA and its chemical analogs. This is a growing field with remarkable and continuous progression for more than two decades. The field of RNA nanotechnology is derived from the knowledge gained from many years of dedicated work by the members of the scientific community. The fundamental properties of RNA revealed by this research have been a driving force for the development of RNA nanotechnology. These properties include RNA dynamics, unique physicochemical parameters of RNA, expanded tools for 3D computation, pseudoknot formation and ability for non-canonical base pairings, induced fit, conformational capture, near-neighbor creed, strand breathing, etc. Many RNA scientists who contributed to better understanding and development of these principles have come together to become the core of the ISRNN.
RNA can be designed and manipulated with a level of simplicity similar to DNA while displaying versatile structure and enzymatic function attributed to proteins. RNA folds into a large variety of structural and long-range interacting motifs for intra- and inter-molecular interactions that lead to the formation of functional structures. Thanks to the collective effort of the RNA community, the concern of RNA instability in nanotechnology and biomedical applications has now been well addressed. RNA nanoarchitectures are stretchable and shrinkable through multiple repeats like rubber, leading to an unusually high tumor targeting efficiency since their rubber- or amoeba-like deformability enables them to squeeze through leaky vasculature. As they are made from a naturally occurring and ubiquitous biopolymer, RNA nanoparticles remain non-toxic and can be rapidly cleared from the body via renal excretion with little accumulation in organs and tissues in vivo. RNA is negatively charged, which prevents nonspecific binding to negatively charged cell membranes and further internalization which avoids undesired immune responses. The ultra-high thermodynamic stability of RNA makes it possible to serve as material for logic gates, resistive memory, sensor operations, and NEM devices.
The purpose of this society is to promote information exchange, enhance collaboration, and trigger the generation of new findings in the field of RNA nanotechnology. It was predicted many years ago that RNA therapeutics would be the third milestone in drug development, and the recent approval of several RNA drugs by the FDA and the broad application of the Covid mRNA vaccine has ushered in the spring of RNA nanotechnology and RNA therapeutics. Extension of current application areas, exponential increase in the number of published articles, and the launching of dedicated new journals in the RNA and RNAi fields are solid evidence of this advancement. The application of RNA nanoparticles (NPs) in drug delivery especially for the treatment of various cancers has uplifted the popularity of RNA nanotechnology.
Peixuan Guo, ISRNN President
Kirill Afonin, ISRNN Vice President