by Mackenze D’Orsi
I am sure that we are all familiar with DNA and RNA – which we are thought of as the basis of life. Studies have shown that a new peptide nucleic acid (PNA) hybrid of DNA and protein drugs would achieve therapeutic effects by binding to specific base sequences of DNA or RNA, repressing or promoting the corresponding gene. Many studies have demonstrated PNA’s suitability for modifying gene expression, mostly in molecular test-tube experiments and in cell cultures. Studies in animals have begun, as has research on ways to transform PNA into drugs that can readily enter a person’s cells from the bloodstream.
In addition to fomenting exciting medical research, these amazing molecules have inspired speculations relating to the origin of life on earth. Some scientists have suggested that PNA or a very similar molecule may have formed the basis of an early kind of life at a time before proteins, DNA and RNA had evolved.
PNA sounds like a good idea, but I am not sure if it is stable enough to be the primary information carrier for all genes.
