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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Personalised medicine and RNA Biology

BSMS > Research > Clinical and experimental medicine > Cancer > Personalised medicine and RNA Biology

Personalised medicine and RNA Biology

Personalised medicine allows clinicians to identify a patient’s unique disease risks, and treatments that will targeted towards individuals.

One of the areas that falls within the Medical Schools overall strategy in the area of personalised medicine is RNA Biology. The importance and impact of RNA Biology is demonstrated by the new Covid-19 RNA vaccine technology recently used by Pfizer and Moderna.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Personalised medicine

Personalised medicine allows clinicians to identify a patient’s unique disease risks, and treatments that will targeted towards individuals. Usually, this requires a study of individual disease sub-types, coupled with the measurement of particular biomarkers, which may be variation within a person’s DNA, circulating biomarkers such as RNA biomarkers or imaging of particular structures within the body. At BSMS this is an emerging area of research which aligns well with the Centre of Research Excellence in Precision Health and Translational Medicine and is also strengthened by collaborative research with the University of Sussex. A particular strength at BSMS includes research that takes account of genetic characteristics of children to prescribe appropriate medication leading to improved asthma-related quality of life. At the other end of the life cycle, biomarkers are being used to assess frailty in order to provide the best treatment for elderly people. Genomic technologies are also being used in infection prevention and control to follow the molecular evolution of pathogenic bacteria. Finally, circulating RNA biomarkers are being assessed in prognosis in Motor Neurone Disease. A number of robust international collaborations, e.g. through the Pharmacogenomics in Asthma Consortium (Is this the shape of medicine to come? - BBC News), is facilitating publications that could define the shape of medicine to come.

Our researchers

Prof Sarah Newbury
Dr James Price
Prof Rajkumar Chakravarthi
Dr Khalid Ali
Dr Jessica Eccles
Prof Somnath Mukhopadhyay
Dr Tom Ruffles
Dr Chris Jones
Dr John Jones

RNA Biology 

One of the areas that falls within the Medical Schools overall strategy in the area of personalised medicine is RNA Biology. The importance and impact of RNA Biology is demonstrated by the new Covid-19 RNA vaccine technology recently used by Pfizer and Moderna.

Research in this area seeks to understand the way the RNA molecules are regulated in the cell to control important cellular processes such as cell proliferation and migration. This underpinning research is very relevant to the understanding of human diseases such as cancers, inflammation, infection, neurodegeneration and response to stress. In particular, small RNA molecules, such as microRNAs, which are present in body fluids have potential as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers therefore will have impact on devising therapies for particular diseases. Those working in the area of RNA biology have close links with research groups working in Life Sciences, University of Sussex; particularly in Biochemistry and Biomedicine and Neuroscience. They are part of the very active University of Sussex RNA Research Group.

Our researchers

Prof Sarah Newbury
Prof Simon Waddell
Prof Sandra Sacre
Dr Manuela Mengozzi
Dr Chris Jones
Dr John Jones

RNA Bio research group6

RNA Biology Research Group

The RNA Biology Group is a network of seven laboratories based in BSMS as well as Life Sciences, University of Sussex.

Find out more here >