Nucleoside Analogs
Caltech
Caltech is exploring a new investigational approach to build nucleoside analogs as a potential highly durable RNA-targeted therapy for Angelman syndrome.
Caltech is exploring a new investigational approach to build nucleoside analogs as a potential highly durable RNA-targeted therapy for Angelman syndrome.
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Nucleoside analogs are synthetic molecules with a chemically altered backbone that helps them to resist breakdown by enzymes that normally degrade RNA-like molecules. They could be used to target the UBE3A-ATS, unsilencing the paternal copy of the UBE3A gene and enabling UBE3A protein to be made.
Frances Arnold, PhD, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has received FAST funding to develop new molecular tools that could help develop highly durable RNA-targeted therapies for Angelman syndrome.
The project will apply directed evolution, the Nobel Prize-winning approach pioneered by Dr. Arnold, to engineer enzymes capable of producing new nucleoside analogs with properties that may be useful to target the UBE3A antisense (UBE3A-ATS) transcript.
The grant is supported by Maddie’s Mission Foundation in partnership with the Shaw Family, an organization dedicated to transforming care for individuals living with Angelman syndrome and other rare neurological conditions.
Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold Brings Directed Evolution to Angelman Syndrome Research