Administration of "mRNA" to rats with cerebral infarction Succeeded in preventing death of cranial nerves

By administering a genetic substance called "mRNA", which is also used in the vaccine for the new coronavirus, to the brain of rats in a state like cerebral infarction, we succeeded in preventing the death of nerves in the brain. Was announced by groups such as Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

"MRNA" is a substance that contains genetic information, which is a blueprint for cells to make proteins, and is attracting attention for its application to pharmaceuticals, such as being used as a vaccine for the new coronavirus.

A group of Professor Hiroshi Odaka of the Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University has a cerebral infarction-like symptom in which blood does not go to the brain with "mRNA" that makes a protein called "BDNF" that protects nerve cells. It was administered to rats whose brain nerve cells began to die.

As a result, less than 5% of the nerve cells in the brain survived in the rats that did nothing, but more than 50% of the cells survived in the rats that received this "mRNA", resulting in a decrease in memory. It means that it was suppressed.

Professor Takashi said, "Pharmaceuticals using mRNA have not yet been put into practical use other than vaccines for the new coronavirus. We believe that applying this technology will lead to the development of a completely new type of therapeutic method." I'm talking.

"MRNA drug" attracting attention

A treatment method in which "mRNA" is directly administered into the body to produce proteins in cells is called "mRNA drug" and has been attracting attention in recent years.

When the global spread of the new coronavirus occurred last year, groups such as Pfizer, a major American pharmaceutical company, and Biontech of Germany, and moderna, a pharmaceutical company in the United States, each had some genetic information on the new coronavirus. We have developed a vaccine using "mRNA".

These vaccines have become the world's first commercial products using "mRNA".

It is expected that "mRNA" can be used for the treatment of various diseases other than vaccines, and pharmaceuticals for practical use are being developed all over the world.