Natural RNA modifications in archaea mirror those used in medicine

RNA therapeutics open up new possibilities for the targeted and precise treatment of diseases. To ensure that RNA molecules remain stable in the body and can reliably exert their effects, they undergo specific chemical modifications. However, such modifications to the RNA backbone also occur naturally, according to research by Schraga Schwartz, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel), and Dr. Dina Grohmann, a professor at the University of Regensburg. Their research findings have now been published in the journal Cell under the title "Phosphate backbone epitranscriptomics: Discovery of natural RNA phosphorothioates and their writer machinery."