The Future of RNA Technology is Coming: RNA Canada ARN will be ready

RNA Canada ARN is a non-profit created by Canada’s leading university RNA researchers, in collaboration with Canada’s private biotechnology sector, with a mandate of promoting RNA research in Canada.  Their inaugural research conference, RNA Canada ARN: The Future of RNA Technology, will be held in Ottawa, Canada from September 30th to October 4th, 2024.

By now most Canadians have heard of RNA (RiboNucleic Acid).   The COVID-19 mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have saved millions of lives and are widely credited with ending the pandemic that brought the world to a halt for more than two years.  These vaccines were remarkable in many ways:  their exceedingly high efficacy, their safety, and perhaps most notably, the speed with which they went from the drawing board into the clinic.

As a result of their game changing potential, many Canadians now have some idea of how messenger RNAs function in living organisms, including humans.   Put simply, mRNA vaccines help train the body to fight infections, but without making any genetic changes.  Since the body already uses the natural language of mRNA, the components of the vaccines are quickly read, effected and then cleared away, leaving only a more highly trained immune system.

What fewer Canadians may know is just how hard won these advances in RNA biology and associated technologies have been.  Last year’s Nobel prizes to Katalin Kariko and Drew Wisemen, awarded for their work unlocking how mRNA vaccines could resist attack by our immune system, recognized their research from nearly 20 years ago.  The lipid nanoparticles (akin to tiny fat bubbles that act as an “envelope” to deliver the mRNA) used to deliver the mRNA vaccines and pioneered by Canadian Peter Cullis and others, have also been in development for decades.

The field of RNA research goes back even further, with RNA being recognized as the body’s messenger of activated genes in the 1950s.   Scientists have been unravelling the mechanisms by which this RNA-based operating system functions ever since, and Canada has played an essential role.  These include two separate Nobel prizes by Canadians studying RNA-associated processes and an extensive list of discoveries that have proven critical to RNA-based technologies and therapies, like the COVID vaccines.

RNA-based vaccines are expected to generate $100B in revenue by 2026, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  RNA-based technologies that will revolutionize agriculture, protecting our bees and food crops, as well as the treatment of diseases far beyond the use of RNA vaccines are already in development.  With such a strong RNA research culture already in Canada, Canada has the expertise to be a leader in the RNA revolution.

However, to achieve this global leadership role in RNA technology, Canada first needs to get organized.  Canadian RNA researchers do outstanding work, despite being siloed geographically as well as in terms of research focus.  Until now, there has been no united voice to help guide government funding priorities, link basic RNA researchers to the private Canadian biotechnology sector, communicate RNA advances to the public, and generate a comprehensive strategy for training Canada’s next generation of RNA scientists.

Founded in 2022 and incorporated in 2023, RNA Canada ARN’s purpose is to address this gap.  Made up of more than 300 self-identified RNA research leaders from universities and private industry, RNA Canada ARN is a self-organized, non-profit organization whose mandate includes coordinating researchers, prioritizing RNA investment opportunities, facilitating partnerships with companies, developing training initiatives and creating an RNA technology pipeline for delivering the benefits of RNA research to Canadians.  Our website (www.RNACanada.ca) has more details about our mission, including an executive summary, recent news & highlights, links to RNA events in Canada, and a helpful summary explaining RNA biology and the developing fields of RNA-based biotechnology and therapeutics.

This fall, RNA Canada ARN welcomes the world to Ottawa, showcasing what Canadian RNA research has to offer.  RNA Canada ARN 2024: The Future of RNA Technology (September 30th – October 4th, 2024) will be an exciting event highlighting cutting-edge RNA research from Canada and abroad, featuring presentations from more than 50 of the world’s top RNA biologists, including two Nobel prize winners. Further, one of the most important goals of the conference is to showcase the promise of RNA-based technologies to the Canadian public.

The RNA revolution is already here. Canada has the expertise to deliver on the promise of this new era to Canadians, and RNA Canada ARN will provide the vision to get us there.