Small Molecule Approaches to Targeting RNA

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Chem

Publisher Springer Nature

Specialty Chemistry

Date 2024 Jan 26

PMID 38278932

Authors

Sandra Kovachka

Marc Panosetti

Benedetto Grimaldi

Stephane Azoulay

Audrey Di Giorgio

Maria Duca

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The development of innovative methodologies to identify RNA binders has attracted enormous attention in chemical biology and drug discovery. Although antibiotics targeting bacterial ribosomal RNA have been on the market for decades, the renewed interest in RNA targeting reflects the need to better understand complex intracellular processes involving RNA. In this context, small molecules are privileged tools used to explore the biological functions of RNA and to validate RNAs as therapeutic targets, and they eventually are to become new drugs. Despite recent progress, the rational design of specific RNA binders requires a better understanding of the interactions which occur with the RNA target to reach the desired biological response. In this Review, we discuss the challenges to approaching this underexplored chemical space, together with recent strategies to bind, interact and affect biologically relevant RNAs.

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