The organisms used in our experiments are E. coli (engineered & control). miRNA-based experiments and cell cultures constitute the majority of our lab work. These organisms fall under the category of Biosafety Level 2. We conducted our experiments in the labs of Nanjing University School of Public Health, where many instructors and lab technicians guided us on safety precautions. Before starting the experiments, all wet lab members underwent two online training sessions and one in-lab workshop on safety procedures, which were led by lab technicians. The safety procedures provided invaluable throughout the duration of our experiments (see the safety & security PDF document on Practice).

Department of Health

The Department of Health is devoted to enhancing the overall health and well-being of its citizens. With its mission rooted in transforming public health through strategic partnerships, it also spearheads initiatives in osteoarthritis and obesity treatment. Upon recognizing the potential of innovative, safe, and efficient devices, the Department would undoubtedly seek to integrate such tools into its arsenal. This approach aligns with its commitment to alleviating the pain of osteoarthritis in obese subjects and benefiting its residents.

Obese and OA Individuals

At the forefront of our target demographic are individuals grappling with obesity or overweight challenges. Such individuals face an amplified risk of knee arthritis, primarily due to the heightened strain on their joints. Eager to manage their weight and mitigate its ramifications on their knee joints, these individuals often search for effective solutions. Notably, obesity is a critical precursor to osteoarthritis, and weight management can not only alleviate OA symptoms but also improve associated risk factors, including hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels. It's crucial to understand that the concerns of this demographic extend beyond mere weight management; they seek holistic health improvements.

The shortcoming of miRNA medicines

miRNA-based experiments constitute the majority of our lab work. In contrast with DNA or RNA-based tests, which indicate the presence of mutations, miRNA tests produce results that are difficult to interpret. Most miRNAs are expressed widely in a non-cell-specific manner, and they do not differ drastically in level between cases and controls. In fact, a truly disease-specific miRNA probably does not exist. Many miRNAs proposed as biomarkers for one disease have been found in association with a bewildering variety of other conditions.

Even though miRNAs are very stable, they contain limited information. As a result, successful miRNA-based tests need to measure ten or more miRNA species with varying weights assigned to each. In particular, liquid biopsies in which blood, urine, or other fluids are gathered present special difficulties compared with tissue sampling, as miRNA levels are very sensitive to pre-processing and post-processing factors.

Data processing steps come with challenges as well, including normalization or adjustment to invariant miRNAs or other analytes. When selecting tools for miRNA test data analysis, clinical labs should ensure strict standardization of the entire process, from obtaining and processing the sample through results reporting. This is the key to reproducible and potentially informative miRNA results, no matter what technology is used.

The future of miRNA medicines

Nowadays, biopharmaceutical companies working with miRNAs and the status of preclinical/clinical trials about miRNA therapeutics have been progressed. Recent updates on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), as well as a delivery system of miRNAs need to be noted.

The followed figure shows the potential miRNAs in the treatment of human diseases.

Fig.1 The potential of miRNAs in the treatment of human diseases

For pharmaceutical companies, the discovery of therapeutic miRNAs could be considered as one of the most exciting and significant therapeutic breakthroughs, and they have to cross different stages of the clinical trial to enter into the market (Fig. 2).

Fig.2 The different stages of the therapeutic miRNAs development procedure

miRNA-based therapeutics have confirmed that they might be the next generation drugs for the cure of various diseases. Presently, various Pharma companies are involved in the development of therapeutic miRNAs and novel delivery systems for the delivery of miRNAs to the targeted site. Therapeutic miRNAs being somewhat different from the NCE molecules, require novel approaches for their development. Over the next two decades, several new miRNA-based therapeutics are expected to be introduced into the market. Finally, it is anticipated that the currently developed therapeutic miRNAs will advance to clinical settings as next-generation therapeutics.