Scripps creates RNA repair technology

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have discovered a compound that can repair RNA defects associated with diseases. Essential to all life on earth, RNA is the material responsible for protein synthesis in our bodies. Defective RNA production can produce a codon that repeats more than three times and has been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases. The researchers discovered that a compound called 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) inhibits the production of this repeated codon in the RNA. Scientists are confident this discovery can lead to therapies for treating Huntington's, spinocerebellar ataxia, Kennedy’s disease and several other neurological and neuromuscular diseases.