Strand’s smart mRNA

Strand Therapeutics Inc. has developed a method to apply pharmacological control to therapeutic mRNA, enabling the company to regulate when, where and how potently mRNA transcripts are expressed using small molecules. Its initial focus is on delivery of therapeutic mRNA to promote immune responses in cancer.

While strategies for controlling gene therapies, cell therapies and synthetic DNA therapies have emerged, Strand CEO Jake Becraft said adapting tunable technologies to RNA-based therapies has presented a greater challenge. Because translation is naturally controlled through mRNA degradation, mimicking those natural systems would degrade therapeutic mRNA and make it impossible to subsequently dial up or down expression...