Science ministry announces RNA finding that triples mRNA lifespan

The science ministry said that researchers at the Institute for Basic Science identified a viral RNA element that extended the half-life of linear mRNA nearly threefold, a finding that could improve the durability of mRNA vaccines and therapies.

Linear mRNA is vulnerable to degradation by cellular enzymes because both ends are open, and a shortening poly(A) tail also leaves it more readily broken down.

Unlike earlier TENT4-based elements, Pt1 directly recruits poly(A) polymerase to replenish mRNA's shortening poly(A) tail, helping linear mRNA approach the stability of circular RNA in tests. The research analyzed 337 vertebrate-infecting virus species and found the TENT4 strategy across a wider range of viruses.

In tests, Pt1 increased the mRNA tail from 60 to 194 adenine bases and extended its half-life from 7.6 hours to 23.1 hours. The researchers identified 23 TENT4-using regulatory elements across 19 viral genera, which they classified into at least six types.

"The elements we found could become powerful molecular tools for overcoming limits of existing mRNA therapies and greatly extending their therapeutic effects," Kim Bit-nae-ri, head of the IBS RNA research group, said.