Team:SYSU-CHINA/Implementation

How to implement our project in the real world

Since our project concentrates more on a basic new method for directed evolution of dsRNA, it seems a long way from practical application. Yet, how we implement our projects to benefit the real world still needs to be addressed. Here you can find the implementation questions we've considered during the process of project proposal, promotion and evaluation.

Our proposed end users

Biopharmaceutical Company: Our project can be applied in the pharmaceutical field to assist PD1-targeted drugs in the treatment of cancer.So biotech companies can develop drugs based on our technology.

Laboratory: To construct a data platform for dsRNA that can effectively bind to ADAR1, which is of great help to evaluate the affinity of other RNA-binding proteins to RNA.The laboratory can obtain ideal high affinity RNA binding proteins according to our algorithm platform.

Hospital: The drug-assisted PD1 targeted drug developed according to our technology for the treatment of cancer, PD1 immunotherapy for cancer has a better effect.

How to implement our project in the real world

As a basic research project, our project explores experimental models suitable for dsRNA directed evolution and develops algorithms to predict sequence characteristics of dsRNA that have high affinity with specific proteins.We visited the relevant personnel from Ribobio, GenScript, TsingKe and Guangzhou Zhuanyan Biological Technology Comany to learn about the relevant dsRNA project and the application of directed evolution technology. Our project can be applied in pharmaceutical field to assist PD1-targeted drugs in the treatment of cancer. (See more on https://2020.igem.org/Team:SYSU-CHINA/Human_Practices)

In regard to the development of algorithms, we contacted Professor Zhang Rui and Professor Yang Jianhua of Sun Yat-sen University. With the help of their rich experience and expertise, we have made a great breakthrough: by extracting effective signature substrate affinity data, we can construct an ADAR1 dsRNA effective binding data platform, which is of great help to evaluate the affinity size of RNA binding proteins of other RNAs.

(Some of the biotechnology companies we've talked to)

Technical advantages

Less safety worries

Our project focuses on RNA editing, which means we will only change things on RNA instead of DNA. The "DNA editing baby" event that happened in China last year had caused a huge amount of controversy. Yet RNA product will be metabolized as time goes by and will not change the genome itself. Our users don't need to worry about genetic ethic problems when using our method. (See more on https://2020.igem.org/Team:SYSU-CHINA/Safety)

Less experimental load

The SEAi greatly combine Computer Science and Biology, which reduce experimental load to a large extent. Users just need to enter their data to gain target information by using our model platform. (See more on https://2020.igem.org/Team:SYSU-CHINA/Model)

Safety aspects we ought to consider

For RNA directed evolution platform:

1. Because it is carried out in vitro cell lines (prokaryotes or eukaryotes), there is no ethical risk of human or animal experiments.
2. Attention should be paid to avoid cell contamination caused by improper operation in the experiment.
3. Attention should be paid to prevent the modified cells from spreading into the environment.
4. Care should be taken to avoid contamination of the cell lines used to the experimenter.

For dsRNA inhibitors of ADAR1

1. If it is used only in laboratory research, it will be as described above.
2. If animal experiments are involved, they should be carried out in accordance with the rules of animal welfare to prevent the emergence of anti-humane experiments.
3. If it is applied to the human body as a drug, we think that the following problems may arise:
a)The combination of dsRNA and other RBP leads to unexpected effects.
b)dsRNA is not targeted to cancer cells and interferes with the function of ADAR1 in other normal cells.
c)dsRNA did not inhibit the activity of ADAR1 as expected.
d)dsRNA may interact with other RNA in the cell, or with the nuclear genome, resulting in unexpected effects.

Other challenges we need to consider

Our project is a new technology that is rarely used at home or abroad.The biggest challenge now is whether the technology can solve some of the existing problems or bottlenecks.Then there is the question of whether the technology can be recognized and effectively developed in the future.Finally, whether the security can be guaranteed when this technology is really applied to reality. Although we believe that the security of this technology itself is trustworthy, there are still many uncertainties worth solving.

(All images are from Pixabay)