“Messenger RNA is an intermediary that retrieves information from DNA and translates it into proteins, which make up the majority of our cells and are involved in processes like digestion and intelligence,” explains Thierry Ziegler.
Discovered in the 1960s by French researcher François Jacob, the study of messenger RNA has revealed its potential as a medication in itself, as it can convey a message to our body related to a disease.
In the case of vaccination, the message is an antigen, which is a piece of the virus that is inactive. This message will be transformed by the cell into a protein that will be detected by our immune system, which will generate antibodies, explains Thierry Ziegler.
However, RNA could be useful for treating many other diseases, particularly cancer, to enhance the immune system and educate it to recognize cancer cells, as well as rare diseases and chronic conditions, to replace a deficient protein, such as insulin in the case of diabetes.
“So we realize that messenger RNA can be a revolutionary therapeutic treatment because it is relatively simple to produce and it disappears over time.” But messenger RNA is expensive to produce, costing several tens of thousands of euros per gram, as it relies on products primarily sourced from China and the United States, which drives up the prices of RNA-based vaccine doses compared to traditional vaccines.
This is what ByoRNA aims to change, by providing a way to produce this RNA at a much lower cost, thus giving all patients access to innovative treatments, by working with a technology invented by one of the company’s co-founders, Chantal Pichon, which involves producing RNA in yeast.
“The advantage is that yeast can produce complete RNA without requiring exotic raw materials, since yeast is what we have in bread and beer, a very simple culture medium, and especially at very large scales, as it is used in the food industry and also in pharmaceuticals to produce proteins,” explains Thierry Ziegler.
“So there’s a social impact, an ecological impact, but above all, the desire to help others, which is truly the DNA of ByoRNA. It’s a team of competent experts working to help patients access innovative treatments,” concludes Thierry Ziegler.
