Nucleic Acids and Innate Immunity
Gantier Group
The nuclei of fibroblasts DNA
Most people will know about DNA, and perhaps a little about RNA.
DNA and RNA constitute a class of molecules referred to as nucleic acids, which are essential to all forms of life known to date. They contain and access the genetic information that controls which cells do what in our bodies. Critically, because they are present in every form of life, including bacteria and viruses, they are also essential for our immune system to detect infections.
Nucleic acids are the root cause of toxic inflammation in acute sepsis and chronic diseases like lupus. Understanding how this operates is essential to identify potential drugs to target inflammation driven by nucleic acids, aiming at providing novel therapeutic avenues to treat these diseases.
With an increasing number of approved nucleic acid-based therapies for patients, including mRNA vaccines, it is also important to comprehend the mechanisms by which synthetic nucleic acids impact normal immune responses. This knowledge also holds significant potential in the development of novel therapeutic modalities for treating tumours, where normal immune responses are compromised.
The Nucleic Acids and Innate Immunity Research group has made substantial contributions to these themes, exemplified by our ground breaking discovery published in Nature Immunology (2026), that certain short RNA fragments are crucial in preventing autoimmunity. Additionally, we have demonstrated the potential of repurposing an anti-cancer drug as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for COVID-19, published in Nature Communications (2023).
To expedite our discoveries and bring them closer to patients, our research is conducted in close collaboration with industry partners. For instance, our recent findings on tiny RNA fragments have resulted in a phase 1 clinical study for the topical treatment of skin autoimmunity, utilising the innovative technology of 3-base synthetic RNAs discovered in our lab.
Diseases we research
Areas of focus
- The Nucleic Acids and Innate Immunity Research group is working to understand how nucleic acid sensing is naturally kept in check by abundant inhibitory RNA fragments and how this knowledge can inform design of novel anti-inflammatory therapies.
- The team is also working on developing novel activators of inflammation, which could be used to ‘wake up’ the immune system in cancer settings.
Research Group Head | Professor Michael Gantier
Treatments for autoimmune diseases such as lupus are often associated with multiple side-effects and a poor patient response. My research is harnessing the potential of RNA therapeutics, like those used in mRNA vaccines, to revolutionise autoimmune disease treatments, blocking disease at its source.
News from the lab
Student opportunities
Publication highlights