RNA as a small-molecule drug target: doubling the value of genomics

Recent advances in the determination of RNA structure and function have led to new opportunities that will have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry. RNA, which, among other functions, serves as a messenger between DNA and proteins, was thought to be an entirely flexible molecule without significant structural complexity. However, recent studies have revealed a surprising intricacy in RNA structure. This observation unlocks opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry to target RNA with small molecules. Because both proteins and their specific mRNAs are potential drug-binding sites, the number of targets revealed from genome sequencing efforts is effectively doubled. Perhaps more importantly, drugs that bind to RNA might produce effects that cannot be achieved by drugs that bind to proteins.