Korean scientists' gene therapy papers published in top international journals

Studies by Korean scientists on gene therapy, including a study on preventing the degradation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the body to maximize the efficacy of RNA-based medicines, have been published in succession in top international journals.

According to the scientific community on Wednesday, two of the world's top three journals in the life sciences, Cell, and nature, published studies conducted by Korean scientist groups that could significantly increase the performance of RNA therapeutics, whose market has been growing rapidly.

Kim V. Narry, head of the RNA Research Group at the Institute for Basic Science, analyzed hundreds of viral RNAs, discovered an RNA sequence that prevents RNA from being degraded in the body, and published the study in the journal Cell on July 6. RNA is a copy of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the body's genetic map. When a protein is needed, multiple copies of RNA are made to increase the amount of protein, but because it is a copy, it is easily degraded by the body.

When Kim's team added the K5 sequence to an mRNA vaccine to see if it could be used to develop a real medicine, it increased the time mRNA stayed within the body and significantly raised the amount of protein expressed.

With Kim's technology, a square DNA structure in the form of wrapping clothes wrapped the RNA therapeutic before unfolding at the target organ. For example, the drug can be delivered to exactly where it is needed in the way DNA unfolds only at low acidity (pH) levels. "This is a useful technology that can be used for drug delivery and molecular diagnosis of diseases such as Alzheimer's using RNA," Kim said.


wskang@donga.com