RNA-based technologies are a powerful molecular biology toolbox, empowering scientists to decipher the complexities of living organisms at the molecular level. RNA is central to a range of cellular processes, from gene expression to disease mechanisms.
Image Credit: Norgen Biotek Corp.
This article examines the importance and relevance of RNA-based technologies, their diverse applications, and their impact on medical advancements and scientific research.
What are RNA-based technologies?
RNA-based technologies include the study, manipulation, and utilization of RNA molecules in a range of applications. RNA is an essential biomolecule present in all living cells, with roles in protein synthesis and gene expression and regulation.
Advances in RNA-based technologies have transformed genetics, molecular biology, and medicine. They allow scientists to gain a deeper understanding of cellular processes and empower them to develop innovative research and therapeutic applications.
Applications of RNA-based technologies
RNA extraction and purification
Any application begins with the isolation and purification of RNA molecules from appropriate biological samples, for example, cells, blood, tissues, and biofluids.
High-quality RNA extraction is key to gene expression analysis, RNA sequencing, and other downstream applications. Norgen's total RNA purification kit affords its users a straightforward, dependable means of extracting high-quality and high-purity total RNA from a wide variety of specimens, without size or GC content bias.
Gene expression analysis
RNA-based technologies enable the study of gene expression patterns, allowing researchers to determine which genes are active and how these genes’ expression levels change in response to treatments or under different conditions. This analysis provides useful insight into cellular functions and the mechanisms underlying various diseases.
RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq)
RNA-Seq is a groundbreaking, relatively new method that enables the comprehensive analysis of the whole transcriptome, including coding and non-coding RNAs.
This includes the identification of novel transcripts, alternative splicing events, and other regulatory elements, affording its user a more comprehensive picture of gene expression.
Norgen Biotek offers wide-ranging Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) services, with full workflow solutions available from RNA isolation and sequencing through to advanced bioinformatic analyses suitable for the provision of ready-to-publish data.
RNA interference (RNAi)
RNAi is a gene silencing mechanism leveraging small RNA molecules like short interfering RNA (siRNA) or short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to target and inhibit the expression of specific genes. RNAi offers considerable potential in a range of therapeutic applications designed to treat cancers and genetic diseases.
Liquid biopsy
Liquid biopsies have seen increased use in recent years, offering useful non-invasive methods for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. Valuable information on disease progression and treatment response can be acquired by analyzing circulating tumor RNA (ctRNA) or cell-free RNA from bodily fluids, including saliva, urine, and blood.
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What is Trending in the World of RNA?
RNA-based approaches represent pioneering technological innovations, continuing to uncover new medical advances and scientific understanding. Exciting breakthroughs in recent years have led to increased focus on RNA, reshaping approaches to research, diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions.
For example, the success of mRNA vaccines during the recent global pandemic and the advent of revolutionary RNA editing tools have seen the RNA landscape become increasingly abundant with transformative discoveries.
One recent study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics detailed how researchers at Sick Kids leveraged RNA analysis to acquire useful diagnostic information for an additional 8% of patients whose diagnosis was unconfirmed via genome sequencing alone. This additional data was used to confirm or rule out the impact of a DNA variant identified via genome sequencing.
The results acquired through this study support the inclusion of clinically based RNA testing in diagnostic workflows when working with children with rare conditions.
mRNA vaccines have shown potent immunity against infectious disease targets in animals, something that became especially evident with their success during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other successful mRNA vaccines include the Zika, rabies, and influenza virus. These vaccines utilize both lipid-encapsulated and naked forms of sequence-optimized mRNA, demonstrating promising results and leading to new means of fighting infectious diseases.
Researchers are also exploring using mRNA as a platform for diverse therapeutic applications, including infectious diseases, cancer immunotherapy, and genetic disorders.
Various strategies for mRNA cancer vaccines have been explored via several cancer clinical trials, including different types of directly injectable mRNA and dendritic cell vaccines.
These clinical trials have had promising outcomes, with some reporting antigen-specific T-cell responses and prolonged disease-free survival cases. These encouraging results indicate the potential of mRNA-based cancer vaccines as a novel and optimistic pathway in cancer immunotherapy.
Exosomal RNA: Potential biomarkers for diseases
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Exosomes are small, extracellular vesicles released by cells into different bodily fluids, including cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and urine. These vesicles play a role in intercellular communication, enabling the transfer of RNA and other bioactive molecules between cells.
Exosomes' wide-ranging role in cellular communication has seen them emerge as promising diagnostic tools for many diseases. Norgen Biotek offers a comprehensive range of exosome purification and exosomal RNA extraction kits designed to accommodate a diverse array of biofluids and input volumes.
These kits feature a highly selective proprietary resin matrix, facilitating the isolation of high-quality, high-purity exosomal RNA that is ideally suited to various applications.
Biomarker detection
Exosomes carry biomolecules such as RNA, microRNAs, and proteins able to reflect the physiological and pathological state of their parent cells. Analyzing exosomes’ content allows researchers to identify novel, disease-specific biomarkers that can be used to determine the presence or progression of a defined disease.
Exosomes in aesthetics
Exosomes play a major role in dermatology in terms of cell migration, extracellular matrix reconstruction, angiogenesis, and wound healing. This makes exosomes attractive candidates for cosmetic applications, with early preclinical studies highlighting promising effects in skin rejuvenation and hair regeneration.
Liquid biopsies
Tissue biopsies have historically been invasive and challenging to acquire, particularly for specific organs. Exosomes represent a useful alternative. Non-invasive diagnostics via liquid biopsies allow tissues to be isolated from different bodily fluids, such as urine, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid, to analyze disease-specific biomarkers.
Cancer diagnosis and monitoring
Exosomes have garnered considerable attention in cancer diagnosis and monitoring, most notably because tumor-derived exosomes feature specific biomarkers that can be used to indicate the presence of cancer, its stage, and its response to treatment.
Exosome-based liquid biopsies offer the potential for early cancer detection and the real-time monitoring of treatment efficacy.
Neurological disorders
Exosomes derived from glial cells or neurons can be isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid to assess biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and multiple sclerosis.
These biomarkers support the early diagnosis and tracking of disease progression.
Infectious diseases
Exosomes derived from pathogens or infected cells can carry specific biomolecules linked to infectious diseases. By analyzing the content of these exosomes, it may be possible to diagnose bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections.
Cardiovascular diseases
Exosomes released by endothelial cells and heart cells may feature biomarkers relevant to cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and atherosclerosis. These biomarkers could offer useful insight into a patient’s cardiovascular health.
Autoimmune disorders
Exosomes have demonstrated potential as biomarkers for autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These biomarkers can be used to monitor disease activity and treatment response.
Summary
RNA-based technologies continue to evolve rapidly, with an increasingly diverse range of applications in diagnostics, therapeutics, basic research, and personalized medicine.
Norgen’s comprehensive range of kits offers dependable, all-in-one solutions for the exploration of RNA’s full potential.
Urine Exosome Purification Mini Kit (Cat. 57700). Image Credit: Norgen Biotek Corp.
References and further reading
- Pardi, N., et al. (2018). mRNA vaccines — a new era in vaccinology. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 17(4), pp.261–279. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd.2017.243.
- Huda, M.N., et al. (2021). Potential Use of Exosomes as Diagnostic Biomarkers and in Targeted Drug Delivery: Progress in Clinical and Preclinical Applications. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 7(6), pp.2106–2149. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00217.
Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by Rahaf Alhadadin from Norgen Biotek Corporation.
About Norgen Biotek Corp.
Norgen Biotek: Advancing science with best-in-class, scientist-backed innovations
Norgen Biotek is a fully integrated biotechnology company that focuses on providing complete workflows for molecular biology sample preparation and analysis. With a diverse portfolio of over 600 products, the company delivers high-performance, user-friendly, and cost-effective solutions.
Scientifically driven, industry trusted
Norgen kits cover a broad range of applications from collection and preservation to isolation and purification. Our expert R&D team continuously develops cutting-edge technologies that set new industry standards for RNA, DNA, protein, and exosomal isolation, ensuring superior yield, purity, and integrity from even the most challenging sample types.
Unparalleled performance
At the heart of Norgen’s success is its patented Silicon Carbide (SiC) Technology. This proprietary resin exhibits uniform binding affinity for all RNA species, regardless of molecular weight or GC content. This ensures the full diversity of small and microRNA are captured while eliminating the need for phenol extraction. This innovative technology sets Norgen kits apart from others, positioning them as leaders in RNA purification.
Comprehensive solutions for any challenge
Norgen is committed to providing high-quality kits capable of processing a wide range of sample types, from ultra-low input samples such as liquid biopsies to highly impure samples like stool or soil. Our sample collection and preservation devices for stool and saliva simplify handling by rendering samples non-infectious by preventing microbial growth and inactivating viruses, while our blood and urine preservation solutions ensure the stability of highly vulnerable cell-free nucleic acids.
To meet varying research demands, we offer multiple isolation methods including, but not limited to high-throughput and automation-ready magnetic bead-based formats. Additionally, our multiple-analyte kits enable the simultaneous purification of RNA, DNA, and proteins, maximizing data extraction from a single sample.
Norgen offers an extensive variety of TaqMan qPCR kits designed for molecular diagnostic use, including lyophilized kits for easy shipping. Library preparation kits for both DNA and RNA samples are also available to support genomic applications. Norgen recently released their EXTRAClean technology, an innovative solution that minimizes background noise while providing high-purity RNA, significantly enhancing NGS performance.
Why choose Norgen?
- Scientist-Driven Innovation – Developed by leading experts in molecular biology
- Proven Quality & Reliability – ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified, indicating a commitment to selling high-quality products
- Global Presence – We ship to over 150 countries and have a network of 60+ distributors
- Award Winning – Norgen Biotek Corp. was honored with the 2021 Innovative Leaders Award, and recognized as the 2024 Rapid Star Award Winner in the PCR category.
- Innovative Products – Hold more than thirty issued and pending patents for products presenting solutions for all research & clinical applications
Driven by a mission to accelerate scientific discoveries, Norgen Biotek actively supports researchers by providing educational resources, technical workshops, and application notes. Their NorBlog serves as a hub for the latest scientific discoveries, protocol optimizations, and industry trends.
Explore Norgen Biotek’s innovative solutions today and take your research to the next level.
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