Researchers Submit Patent Application, "Novel Replicase Cycling Reaction (RCR) and the Related RdRP-Binding Site Designs Thereof", for Approval (USPTO 20240093286).

A patent application has been submitted for a new method called replicase cycling reaction (RCR) that uses viral replicases and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRP) to amplify RNA sequences. This method has potential applications in diagnosis, gene therapy, and drug development. The inventors have identified specific replicase/RdRP-binding sites (RdRP-BS) that can be incorporated into RNA sequences to form self-amplifying RNA (samRNA) templates. These samRNA templates can be amplified using RCR, resulting in the production of self-amplifying RNAs/mRNAs (samRNAs). The patent application describes a novel samRNA composition that can be used for various applications, including gene therapy and diagnostics. The composition can be produced using polymerase chain reaction and in-vitro transcription methods and can be formulated with a delivery agent for efficient intracellular transfection. The samRNA composition can also contain modified nucleotide analogs and cap molecules for stability and functionality. [Extracted from the article]