Delivering RNA therapeutics effectively to the right cells without triggering the body's immune defenses is one of the biggest challenges in the field. Regardless of their specific functions or mechanisms, all RNA-based treatments need to navigate a complex biological landscape. They must reach the intended tissues, enter the correct cells within those tissues, and escape internal cellular traps called endosomes, all without being destroyed by the body's immune system or other biological processes.

The DNA inside each cell of our body consists of approximately 20,000 protein-coding genes, which accounts for only 1-2% of the entire human genome. From this same DNA come tens of millions of RNA molecules, the fundamental coding sequences for protein synthesis and the regulation of cellular functions. This creates the image that the human cell is simply a bag of RNA, an abstraction that highlights the relative abundance of RNA in cells and its crucial role in understanding health and disease.

Although there is hope that biotech markets are improving, the life science sector still feels like it’s very much in the doldrums. Biotech is traditionally the canary in the coal mine for economic downturns and often the last to recover. Nevertheless, the industry is not going anywhere and there are many reasons to be optimistic about its long-term potential.

In a 2006 Harvard Business Review article, Gary Pisano contended that the biotech industry struggled to establish itself as a genuine, value-generating business sector. Despite attracting more than $300 billion in capital, and the extraordinary commercial success of companies such as Amgen and Genentech, most biotechnology firms had earned no profit.