Breakthrough RNA Editing Research at Technion: New Hope for Cancer and Brain Disease Treatments

Researchers at the Technion Faculty of Biology have made important discoveries that may improve genetic treatments for cancer and brain diseases. Their findings are published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, led by PhD student Berta Eliad, Master’s student Noa Schneider, and Associate Professor Ayelet Lamm, in collaboration with Professor Heather Hundley from Indiana University.

DNA serves as the body’s guide for making proteins, while RNA acts as a specific instruction for producing these proteins. The body uses RNA editing to create a wider range of protein instructions. This process modifies the RNA sequence to produce different recipes.

A common type of RNA editing is A-to-I RNA editing. Here, an enzyme called ADAR changes adenosine (A) in the RNA to inosine (I). Problems in this editing can cause cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and immune system issues.

The Technion team studied the ADAR enzyme in C. elegans, a small transparent worm used in scientific research due to its fast development. They found that ADAR is near DNA during cell division, indicating that RNA editing happens as new RNAs are formed. The enzyme is active in embryos, oocytes, and nerve cells, but not in sperm or other cell types, showing it works selectively in certain tissues. The researchers also identified a protein that directs where ADAR operates inside cells and which RNA sequences it mainly edits.

Their findings clarify where and how RNA editing occurs, and which factors control it. This knowledge could help repair damaged genes.

The study offers new insights for genetic medicine and may lead to innovative treatments for serious illnesses. It received support from the Israel Science Foundation, the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation, NSF-BSF Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, and the NIH.