RNA-based Approaches to Disease Treatment

This lecture covers the application of cutting-edge chemical and synthetic biology tools to discover and control actionable molecular targets for disease treatment, including engineered networks, drug-target identification, and therapeutic delivery. It explores the impact of synthetic biology on the therapeutic spectrum, focusing on biologics and small molecules. The lecture also delves into RNA-based approved drugs, programmable RNA-targeting tools, and case examples such as RNA interference pathways and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. Additionally, it discusses the development of RNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates and the methodology for programmable RNA targeting strategies.