Marvin Albers
PhD Student, VU Amsterdam
grabRNA: Smart RNA delivery enables novel therapeutic strategies
Abstract
Many diseases including various forms of cancer are not curable today since current therapeutics and modalities are not suitable to address the relevant biomolecular targets. Alongside the urgent need for new treatments in medicine, there is a growing demand for environmentally friendly innovations in agriculture, particularly for sustainable crop protection. In principle, RNA interference (RNAi) can enable the specific targeting of relevant biomolecules.This technology can be adopted and offers a highly specific and efficient tool to virtually suppress any desired target gene.
Despite RNAi’s vast potential, its broader application is hindered by significant challenges. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), the central component of RNAi, suffers from poor stability and limited cellular uptake. In relevant conditions, dsRNA is quickly degraded, reducing its effectiveness. Existing technologies have yet to provide a universal method to protect and stabilize dsRNA, limiting RNAi’s use in real-world applications.
Our innovative approach introduces a breakthrough solution based on synthetic peptides inspired by the tomato aspermy virus 2b (TAV2b) protein. These custom-designed peptides bind dsRNA, shielding it from degradation and preserving functionality. Once inside the cell, the peptides release the dsRNA in the reducing intracellular environment, allowing it to activate the RNAi machinery. Designed as a platform technology, our peptide stabilizers can bind any dsRNA sequence or length, making them broadly applicable across diverse fields. Their unique structure-specific interaction also allows seamless integration with existing RNA delivery systems, enhancing overall effectiveness.
RNAi is entering a new era and the field is advancing rapidly. However, delivery and stability remain the final barriers to widespread adoption. Our peptide-based stabilizers aim to overcome these hurdles. We are now demonstrating our technology in collaboration with global start-ups, unlocking RNAi’s full potential in medicine, biotechnology, and agriculture.
Bio
Marvin Albers holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany) and a master's degree in chemistry from Universität Münster (Germany). During his master's studies, he participated multiple times in iGEM, the prestigious international synthetic biology competition that promotes interdisciplinary research and innovation. He also completed a one-year research stay at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, where he gained advanced experience in molecular biology and translational research.
Since 2023, Marvin has been pursuing his PhD in the Grossmann Lab, where his research focuses on the structure-based design of RNA-targeting peptides. He also serves as the project leader of grabRNA, an initiative dedicated to developing next-generation RNA stabilizers to advance RNA delivery technologies.