Dear ETPN members and esteemed colleagues in the European Nanomedicine community, RNA-based therapeutics are not merely the future—they are transforming healthcare today. Fuelled by global urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic, RNA therapies have leapt from lab benches to bedside, delivering results that were previously considered unattainable. However, the full scope of RNA therapies remains untapped, laden with challenges and opportunities that demand our focused attention.
What are the key highlights from the policy paper on RNA therapeutics?
The EXPERT Project has just released a comprehensive Policy Paper that should be essential reading for anyone interested in RNA-based healthcare innovation. One of the highlights of the paper lies in the section on challenges and avenues for further development:
“Despite their many potential advantages, today’s RNA-based therapeutics leave room for improvement, and distinct avenues of development need to be explored further.”
The paper dives deep into scientific, regulatory, and practical aspects, outlining key objectives such as:
- Improving delivery methods for RNA therapeutics
- Developing in silico predictive models for faster clinical exploration
- Standardizing and validating characterisation assays for quality, safety, and efficacy
- Proposing alternative methods in line with European directives on animal welfare
- And many more
Funding opportunities aligned with each objective are also detailed, ranging from Horizon Europe to EIC Pathfinder and ERIC, making it an invaluable guide for preparing / securing financial support for your projects.
We strongly urge our network to download, read, and share this seminal paper. Let’s advance the field of RNA therapy in Europe, together.
Call to Action:
- Read and share this Policy Paper with your own network.
- If you’re enthusiastic about contributing to this transformative field, reach out to both Project Expert and the ETPN for collaboration opportunities. Contact us: secretariat@etp-nanomedicine.eu and / or the EXPERT’s coordinator: Prof. Raymond Schiffelers.
- Follow the EXPERT Project on social media.
Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
About the B-Smart and EXPERT project
The B-SMART (official website) project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 721058. The B-SMART project aims to revolutionize brain-specific drug delivery, pioneering advancements in the modular and active RNA therapeutics sector.
The EXPERT project (official website) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 825828. EXPERT focuses on democratizing mRNA nanomedicines, working to create an off-the-shelf solution that can be readily deployed for a range of healthcare applications. Learn more about EXPERT in this short video presentation: