RNA in Biology and Medicine (2nd Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

The advent of messenger RNA vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 and certain forms of cancer and studies on noncoding RNAs have ushered in an era of medical uses of RNA. This revolution has been heralded by the realization that RNA plays a more fundamental role than that reflected in the classical central molecular biology dogma, in which genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein to phenotype. In the new dogma, RNA directly or indirectly determines phenotype by regulating protein function and not just driving protein expression.

The importance of noncoding RNAs is underscored by the fact that approximately 97% of the transcriptional output of the human genome is generated by non-protein-coding RNA genes. The RNAs encoded by these genes and, in some cases, by protein-coding RNA genes interact with various molecules to regulate processes such as gene expression regulation, chromatin remodeling, epigenetic modifications, and cellular growth, proliferation, and survival.

The Special Issue aims to provide a much-needed overview of the status and future trends of knowledge on RNAs from primary to tertiary structure and function to clinical applications of RNA-based technologies in vaccinology, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, immunoregulation, and gene therapy, among others. We welcome contributions, including original research articles, reviews, and perspectives, on the vast family of RNAs, from viroids and virusoids to cellular coding and noncoding RNAs.

Dr. Roberto Patarca
Dr. William A. Haseltine
Guest Editors

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