Society News

In the past few years, mRNA has become a mainstream word with the swift creation of mRNA vaccines to treat SARS-CoV-2. This new technology was already in development, placing it in the perfect position to meet an urgent global need. Yet, there are still challenges to be met to further improve mRNA vaccines and other mRNA therapeutics. Another RNA ...

An incredible amount of time, effort, and money have gone into finding increasingly better ways to safely and effectively deliver nucleic acid based therapeutics. Many solutions have been developed that do indeed provide safe and effective delivery, and we have had many occasions to celebrate the approval of life-saving drugs in recent years. However, new solutions are always valuable. The ...

The Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (OTS) is excited to bring together those in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics for its 19th Annual Oligo Meeting. Anyone interested in oligonucleotide therapeutics is welcome to join the event, which will be held virtually and in person on Oct. 22-25, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. OTS is an open, nonprofit forum that fosters academic and ...

A new therapy that uses the Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR technology may be the latest breakthrough in gene editing therapy. Exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel), developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, addresses two debilitating blood disorders: sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia (TDT). If approved, it will mark the world’s first therapy based on CRISPR technology and could transform the lives ...

There are many different respiratory viruses, from influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses, rhinoviruses, and adenoviruses. Some are highly pathogenic and can trigger respiratory failure and death. These viruses also facilitate secondary bacterial infections, often resulting in pneumonia, meningitis, and other acute inflammatory pathologies (1). These acute viral respiratory tract infections (AVRIs) are among the top ...

Martin Egli and Muthiah Manoharan recently co-wrote an outstanding review that is a great resource for anyone in our community. The review, titled “Chemistry, structure and function of approved oligonucleotide therapeutics,” is a collection of information about the eighteen nucleic acid therapeutics that have been approved in the last 25 years. Readers will gain knowledge from their insights and ...