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RNA Therapeutics Institute

@rti-umasschan.bsky.social
1.3K followers 211 following 309 posts

The RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) at UMass Chan Medical School. Uniting nucleic acid scientists w/clinicians to devise human therapies. Loving RNA since before it was cool. #RNATx2025

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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Hot off the press from the Watts & Khvorova labs: Albumin-binding dendrimer-conjugated siRNA enables safe and effective gene silencing throughout the central nervous system buff.ly/FUvJ0hf #RNA #RNATherapeutics
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Reposted by RNA Therapeutics Institute
UMass Chan Medical School @umasschan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
A multidisciplinary UMass Chan research team has received $14.7 million to develop new models and gene therapies for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic defect which causes severe loss of lung function: bit.ly/4cEbJj7 #GeneTherapy @xueumass.bsky.social @rti-umasschan.bsky.social
umassmed.edu
UMass Chan receives $14.7 million grant to develop gene therapies for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Scientists receive $14.7 million to improve vector design for gene therapies targeting alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Welcome back from the summer, we hope you're ready for the new school year! See all the updates in the RTI Messenger: buff.ly/DzhfV9X
go.umassmed.edu
https://go.umassmed.edu/webmail/184882/6558196230/02b5b8a899d153681bea898e35437478d2d67de2ef91a34c040ddf370fdeab94
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: In extracto cryo-EM reveals eEF2 as a major hibernation factor on 60S and 80S particles buff.ly/GNsNOdR #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Early reduction of myelin-associated glycoprotein at myelin membranes in Huntington's disease buff.ly/IjpxT9a #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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Reposted by RNA Therapeutics Institute
UMass Chan Medical School @umasschan.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are on Peter Parker’s mind in the newest Spider-Man movie. Anastasia Khvorova, PhD, of UMass Chan Medical School, spoke with @sciencenews.bsky.social about #siRNAs and what the movie got right (and wrong): direc.to/pn9y #SpiderMan @rti-umasschan.bsky.social
direc.to
What Spider-Man gets right — and wrong — about turning off superpowers
In 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' Peter Parker devises a superpower inhibitor based on a real therapy using RNA.
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Reposted by RNA Therapeutics Institute
UMass Chan Medical School @umasschan.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Erik J. Sontheimer, PhD,  a pioneering leader in the field of CRISPR gene editing, will become the next chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute (RTI) in January. Read about Dr. Sontheimer and the RTI here: direc.to/pn_q @eriksontheimer.bsky.social @rti-umasschan.bsky.social
direc.to
Erik Sontheimer named chair of RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan, effective January 2027
Erik J. Sontheimer, PhD, the Pillar Chair in Biomedical Research, professor and vice chair of RNA therapeutics, has been appointed chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute, effective in January of 2027...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Cross-species comparative spatial transcriptomics of hair follicle-T cell interactions identifies conserved drivers of cutaneous lupus erythematosus skin disease and associated hair loss buff.ly/CV44nLR #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Congrats to the Awardees of the 2026 Michael R. Green, MD, PhD, Award in Graduate Research, Andrew Petti (RTI; Wen Xue's Lab) and Brennon Berard (MCCB; Dohoon Kim's Lab). Save the Date for their research presentations: Tuesday Sept 8, 2026 at 11:00am DiMare Center, N1-1500 #generegulation #RNATx
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
'Shutting down foreign DNA — such as inserted arachnid DNA — or mutated genes is the sort of thing #siRNAs do well, says Anastasia Khvorova, a chemical biologist at the UMass Chan Medical School’s #RNA Therapeutics Institute. Read more about the RTI & #SpiderMan 🕸️ buff.ly/OqHDgb7
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Improved Purification of sgRNA and pegRNA by Use of a 5'-Terminal Dioctyloxytrityl (DOT) Protecting Group buff.ly/meigSEe #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Improved Purification of sgRNA and pegRNA by Use of a 5'-Terminal Dioctyloxytrityl (DOT) Protecting Group pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42631961/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Pervasive noise in human pre-mRNA splice site selection buff.ly/coo64aa #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Pervasive noise in human pre-mRNA splice site selection pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42607686/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before #mRNA can move beyond vaccines buff.ly/2jVCuh7
umassmed.edu
First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines
Li Li, PhD, discusses how the FDA's approval of the first mRNA flu vaccine could accelerate the development of future mRNA-based therapies while highlighting the scientific challenges that remain.
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Blocking somatic repeat expansion and lowering huntingtin by RNAi synergize to attenuate Huntington's disease pathogenesis in mice buff.ly/MK0i321 #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Blocking somatic repeat expansion and lowering huntingtin by RNAi synergize to attenuate Huntington's disease pathogenesis in mice pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42585290/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Viral gene replication enhances AAV vector quality and reduces manufacturing costs buff.ly/LnqZQ8S #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Viral gene replication enhances AAV vector quality and reduces manufacturing costs pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42581546/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Viral gene replication enhances AAV vector quality and reduces manufacturing costs - PubMed
Viral vectors for gene and cell therapy are typically produced by transfecting plasmids into mammalian cells. Because plasmid DNA is not replicated in these cells, large quantities are required to express...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Systematic identification of germ granule proteins reveals specialized roles in RNAi and small RNA inheritance buff.ly/qZJWqsB #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Systematic identification of germ granule proteins reveals specialized roles in RNAi and small RNA inheritance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42538287/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Systematic identification of germ granule proteins reveals specialized roles in RNAi and small RNA inheritance - PubMed
Biomolecular condensates, such as germ granules, organize RNAi pathways critical for fertility and genome regulation. However, the protein composition and functional contributions of these condensates...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: PPMO therapy for dysferlinopathy induces pseudoexon skipping and restoration of functional protein buff.ly/g2Mrvy0 #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: PPMO therapy for dysferlinopathy induces pseudoexon skipping and restoration of functional protein pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42446943/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
PPMO therapy for dysferlinopathy induces pseudoexon skipping and restoration of functional protein - PubMed
The dysferlinopathies are a spectrum of autosomal recessive muscle diseases caused by mutations in the dysferlin gene (DYSF) gene. Clinical manifestations vary from asymptomatic hyperCKemia to severe...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Precision RNAi for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: a combinatorial, unimolecular, allele selective approach buff.ly/O9ffiCP #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Precision RNAi for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: a combinatorial, unimolecular, allele selective approach pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42370290/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Precision RNAi for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: a combinatorial, unimolecular, allele selective approach - PubMed
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder caused by a dominant mutation in the <i>ACVR1</i> gene (R206H, 97% of cases), leading to debilitating heterotopic ossification (HO)...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: G quadruplex DNA facilitates a pervasive path to homologous recombination pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42282655/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
G quadruplex DNA facilitates a pervasive path to homologous recombination - PubMed
Homologous recombination (HR) requires efficient homology search and strand invasion, yet how homologous templates are identified within nuclear space remains unclear. Here, we identify G-quadruplex (G4)...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
🧬 New BioRxiv preprint from the RTI: Improved cryo-EM reconstruction of sub-50 kDa complexes using 2D template matching buff.ly/nEKQ1rN #RNA #RNATherapeutics @umasschan.bsky.social
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Fully Modified SpyCas9 Guide RNAs Enable Robust Genome Editing In Cells and In Vivo pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42244699/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Fully Modified SpyCas9 Guide RNAs Enable Robust Genome Editing In Cells and In Vivo - PubMed
Precision engineering of CRISPR/Cas9 components has advanced genome editing toward therapeutic applications. Completely chemically stabilized guide RNAs (gRNAs) have the potential to improve <i>in vivo</i>...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
THANK YOU to all our speakers, panelists, attendees and sponsors for another successful #RNATx2026! Save the dates and join us next year at #RNATx2027 June 23-25, 2027!!
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Riccardo Pannella, From Target Discovery to Clinical Translation: The Development of RES-010 #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Translational Discovery session up next! T. Scott Johnson discussing Cross-Species Metabolism & PK of CBP-4888 Including SC & IV Administration in Healthy Individuals #RNATx2026 #siRNA #preeclampsia
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Ailong Ke discussing Less is more: Conversion of IscB and Cas9 into RNA-Guided RNA Editors #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Ailong Ke discussing Less is more: Conversion of IscB and Cas9 into RNA-Guided RNA Editors #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Editing session kicks off with Sam Sternberg discussing RNA-Guided DNA Integration for Therapeutic Genome and Microbiome Engineering #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Great talk from Maria Alonso on Guiding RNA Across Barriers Using Nanotechnology! #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Next up: Esteban Orellana on Exploiting tRNA Dependencies for Cancer Therapy! #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Truly fantastic talk of biotech, business, culture, strategy, and a beautiful historical perspective of the RNAi from concept to clinic from John Maraganore. #RNATx2026 @JMaraganore
John Maraganore
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
We kick off Day 3 with biotech leader, founding CEO of Alnylam, and one of RTI’s ardent supporters, John Maraganore! Also a fantastic moment for John and our inaugural Maraganore fellow Leo Schärfen! @JMaraganore @LeoSchaerf #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
🧬 New BioRxiv preprint from the RTI: Mismatch repair dissection by in vivo RNAi reveals dose-dependent modulators of somatic instability and proteome remodeling in Huntingtons disease buff.ly/2PmGcMj #RNA #RNATherapeutics @umasschan.bsky.social
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Sophia Lugo on RADAR: RNA Sense-and-Response Systems for Precision Targeting of Genetic Payloads #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Sun Hur discussing Innate Immune Mechanism for Sensing Self vs Non-self RNA Discrimination #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The RTI’s chair, Dr. Phil Zamore, is speaking on Muscle-specific RNA Silencing by #miRNA Tether #RNATx2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Silvi Rouskin speaking at #RNATx2026 on Conformational Ensembles Reveal a Missing Layer of pri-miRNA Regulation
Silvi Rouskin
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Next at #RNATx2026 Anna Marie Pyle on Discovery and Targeting of RNA Regulatory Structures in Viral Pathogens
Anna Marie Pyle
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Next up Pedro Miura on Leveraging Long Reads to Understand RNA Processing in Neural Development #RNATX2026
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Kicking off Day 2 of #RNATx2026 with Karmella Haynes on Synthetic #lncRNAs Reveal Design Constraints on RNA-Mediated Chromatin Silencing #ncRNA #epigenetics
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
#RNATx2026 has kicked off, first with an introduction from co-organizer Phil Zamore and now our first keynote, Xiaowei Zhuang with some gorgeous MERFISH imaging!
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Antisense oligonucleotides targeting Ninjurin1 ameliorate the pathology of lead- and cadmium-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in mice buff.ly/A9VP5xu #RNA #RNATherapeutics @UMassChan
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Hot off the press from the RTI: Antisense oligonucleotides targeting Ninjurin1 ameliorate the pathology of lead- and cadmium-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in mice pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42337738/?ut... #RNA #RNATherapeutics
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Antisense oligonucleotides targeting Ninjurin1 ameliorate the pathology of lead- and cadmium-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in mice - PubMed
These findings establish Ninj1 as a critical mediator of chronic lung inflammation and a translationally relevant therapeutic target, highlighting Ninj1-directed ASO therapy as a promising strategy for...
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RNA Therapeutics Institute @rti-umasschan.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
🧬 New BioRxiv preprint from the RTI: G quadruplex DNA facilitates a pervasive path to homologous recombination buff.ly/Myz7vEi #RNA #RNATherapeutics @umasschan.bsky.social
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