【2023 Summer】RNAi Nanotargeted Drug Delivery R&D Customized Research Project 爱博物
【Project Introduction】
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on the world, with the fields of medicine and pharmacology becoming a central focus of global attention.
For researchers, efforts are underway to discover new and powerful drugs to treat viral infections. Beyond the well-known approaches of antibody and cell therapies, RNAi therapy technology has emerged as a promising new direction.
Recently, a domestically developed Class I new drug for COVID-19, SNS812—the world's first fully modified inhaled small nucleic acid drug—was approved by the U.S. FDA for clinical trials and has completed its first human administration. This marks a milestone achievement for innovative COVID-19 drugs in China.
As the world's first fully modified siRNA COVID-19 drug to enter clinical trials, SNS812 holds unique advantages in combating the novel coronavirus. It is hailed as the "drug with the highest variant coverage to date,combining both therapeutic and preventive effects." It has the potential to counter the rapid evolution and flu-like trends of the virus, becoming one of the best treatment methods against COVID-19 mutations.
American scientists Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello were awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of RNA interference. Due to their superior targeting and efficiency, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have become a hot research topic for biopharmaceutical companies.
Targeted drugs (also known as targeted formulations) refer to drugs or their formulations that have been endowed with targeting capabilities. The goal is to enable the drug or its carrier to home in on specific disease sites, accumulating or releasing active ingredients at the target location.
Targeted formulations allow drugs to achieve relatively high concentrations locally at the target site, thereby enhancing efficacy while minimizing toxic side effects and reducing harm to normal tissues and cells.
Nanotargeted drugs use nanoparticles as drug carriers, primarily altering the distribution and pharmacokinetics of the drug in the body to ensure targeting toward diseased areas such as tumors.
For example, particles larger than 7 μm are typically mechanically filtered and retained by small capillaries in the lungs, where they are taken up by monocytes and enter lung tissue or alveoli. Particles larger than 200 nm are easily phagocytized by the reticuloendothelial system in the spleen and liver.
This RNAi Nanotargeted Drug Delivery R&D Customized Research Project by JSR Academy will guide students into a national key university laboratory to complete a full research process—from design, production, assembly, to efficacy evaluation—of nanotargeted drugs. This will provide students with a firsthand experience of the cutting-edge applications of nanotechnology in the interdisciplinary field of medicine.
【Duration】 July 15–22, 2023
【Number of Participants】 5–8 students
【Recommended Grade Level】 Grade 9 and above
【Instructor Team】 The teaching team consists of frontline researchers from a key laboratory at a national key university, with two professors and doctoral supervisors leading the instruction.
For details, please contact an IBOWU course advisor:
Course Advisors:
Ms. Zhang: 13910908618 (WeChat ID same as phone number)
Ms. Zha: 13910312020 (WeChat ID same as phone number)
About IBOWU · JSR Academy
JSR Academy™ is China's first youth science academy initiated by non-governmental forces. Launched by IBOWU, a well-known domestic platform for youth scientific research and academic programs, it aims to provide high-quality scientific practice platforms for Chinese youth.
JSR Academy has received investments from BGI Group, TAL Education Group, and Poly Group. With strong scientific and capital backing, JSR Academy has gathered dozens of multidisciplinary frontline scientists from around the world and partnered with numerous university and research laboratory resources across countries including China, the U.S., Denmark, Norway, Singapore, and Australia. It is committed to providing students with advanced STEM academic programs and elite training plans, striving to cultivate the scientific spirit of Chinese youth and contribute to the reserve of scientific and technological talent for China and the world.
