Interdisciplinarity has always been central to the research of Maureen McKeague, PhD. As a joint Assistant Professor between the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science at VRƵ, her work intersects with medicine, chemistry and engineering.
RNA and DNA aptamers — short sequences of artificial RNA or DNA that bind to a specific target molecule — have long been at the heart of Prof. McKeague’s passion for discovery. The fact that scientists can tailor them to target certain molecules and cells has made them particularly promising for biotechnology and medicine.
“I continue to work with DNA, but RNA is really a shining star of my research,” Prof. McKeague explains. “We can make RNA aptamers that detect disease or identify toxic compounds in water. We can use aptamers inside cells to study important processes like cell regeneration. We can also use them to target drugs to certain cells.” This focus on the multifaceted potential of RNA aptamers is what brings her to the new VRƵ Centre for RNA Sciences.
The road to RNA aptamers
Prof. McKeague’s interest in aptamers was sparked at Carleton University, where she completed a BSc in biochemistry and biotechnology and a PhD in chemistry.
“At Carleton, I got really excited about nucleic acids. I was also lucky that, at that time, Carleton welcomed its first female professor in chemistry, Maria DeRosa, PhD,” she says. “Prof. DeRosa was studying DNA nanotechnology, so I did a PhD with her where we developed aptamers made out of DNA.”
After graduating, Prof. McKeague wanted to broaden her expertise in aptamers and went on to complete postdoctoral work at Stanford University. This time, she chose to study aptamers made from RNA.
“With RNA aptamers, we could encode them in cells of whole animals and they can be used to turn on genes inside cells,” she says. “They can even light up if you want to detect certain molecules inside cells.”
Inspired by what she had learned, she went on to become a Group Leader at ETH Zurich, before returning to Canada and joining VRƵ as an Assistant Professor.
Limitless potential for RNA aptamers in therapeutics
Widespread attention was drawn to RNA-based therapeutics after the swift development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. However, Prof. McKeague recalls that RNA aptamers have not always captured the imagination of scientists.
“For a long time, some of the biggest technology experts called aptamers a technology looking for an application – in other words, what did we actually need them for? However, what is special about RNA aptamers is that we can make them bind to very specific small molecules and cells,” she explains.
This specificity could allow scientists to design RNA aptamers that bind to certain cells and molecules and make their utility limitless in the treatment of numerous health conditions.
“For example, aptamers can be used to deliver a drug very specifically,” she says. “They can also be used to interact with a target that we haven’t even been able to identify yet, or further help to combine the functions of different drugs together.”
New Centre will be critical to RNA research
For Prof. McKeague, the creation of the VRƵ Centre for RNA Sciences is crucial to RNA research.
First, it will bring a wide range of researchers together – from the worlds of genomics and biotechnology to chemistry and machine learning – working with a common goal in mind.
“RNA research is an area that benefits from different perspectives across the whole spectrum of medical science and physical science,” she says. “So, having the Centre is critical to unite all these people in a constructive and collaborative way.”
Second, Prof. McKeague believes this culture of collaboration could allow researchers to make discoveries more quickly and implement their findings in clinical or industry settings more efficiently.
In this case, VRƵ’s existing affiliations with hospitals, its longstanding history of RNA research and Montreal’s growing biotech scene give the Centre a distinct advantage.
“While there are other RNA institutes in the world, I think what we have at VRƵ goes beyond what already exists in terms of breadth of experience in RNA. Not only do we have a lot of RNA researchers here already, but many of them are world-renowned in their fields,” Prof. McKeague notes.
“They are also excited to be collaborating in an interdisciplinary environment. So, it’s not just the talent of the researchers here – they have the right mindset for this kind of centre, too.”
Prof. McKeague hopes the Centre will ultimately benefit patients, making new treatments or therapeutics accessible sooner.
“My long-term dream for the Centre is that once a new research finding identifies a disease target, we can seamlessly develop the best RNA technology type to treat that disease. Then, we can make the connections to industry and manufacturing to get out a treatment in a much shorter timeline than we typically see,” she adds.
“In other words, that we can find ways to accelerate the time it takes to develop a product, therapeutic or technology, and facilitate its application in clinical settings.”