Jeff Coller is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in the Molecular Biology and Genetics department at the School of Medicine and the Biomedical Engineering department at the Whiting School of Engineering. In an interview with The News-Letter, he discussed his research on the development of a new experimental protein booster that aims to improve the stability of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the critical impact of recent federal research funding cuts on the future of biomedical research.
Coller’s interest in RNA began during a study abroad experience at Stockholm University in the early 1990s where he encountered ribozymes — RNA molecules that possess the ability to catalyze biochemical reactions — and became fascinated.
He has carried that early enthusiasm about RNA to his current work, where he faces the challenge of developing a way to increase protein levels in patients with haploinsufficiency disorders, which are caused by low levels of certain gene expression.
“We had a very simple idea, which is, if we mimic the function of the poly(A) tail whose function is to stabilize a messenger RNA, could we drive up the expression of various transcripts and mRNAs?” Coller explained.
By using this method, Coller’s lab has developed a protein booster designed to treat haploinsufficiency diseases by stabilizing mRNAs molecules and allowing for increased protein synthesis.
This research, while highly promising, has not come without its challenges.
“The biggest challenge is that RNA, by its nature, is very transient,” Coller said. “They are designed by nature to go away and be destroyed.”
Early attempts to stabilize mRNA in the lab were met with inconsistent data. The turning point came when Coller and his team began using chemical modifications like the poly-A tail known to stabilize small RNAs, which made experimental data more interpretable and show therapeutic results.
“RNAs are now being used and being investigated to use for cancer therapy. They are being used to treat rare genetic disorders,” he explained, emphasizing how RNA-based therapies could play a key role in making many chronic diseases significantly more manageable for patients.
Despite these advances, the future of RNA research in the U.S. is now uncertain. In a recent article published by The Hub, Coller emphasized that much of the progress in the field has been made possible by federal funding such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — funding that is now being cut.
“We are finally, after all of these years, at a moment in time where we are rapidly accelerating our ability to return on the [federal research] investment,” Coller said. “To stop that right now is incredibly tragic because it's unraveling decades of investment into our children's future.”
Coller further emphasized that the research done by his lab is dependent on federal funding.
“I mean, quite frankly, the ability for us to continue to make life saving medicines is critically dependent upon federal funding. Without it, it stops. That's just a fact,” Coller explained.
He warns that without the support of the government, necessary treatments will be unable to be developed, especially since there are no other sources of funding that will allow research similar to his to be conducted. Additionally, Coller stated that cutting federal funds for research also puts the U.S. at a disadvantage compared to other countries.
“Probably the first effect that it'll have is that other countries will succeed. We will lose in competition. Europe, China and South America are doubling down,“ Coller emphasized. “They absolutely are investing into biomedicine, and America has always held a wonderful position as the world's leader in biomedical engineering and biomedical discovery, and that's going to slip away, no doubt.”
Coller further pointed out that the effects of the funding cut can already be felt, highlighting that many graduate programs at major universities have rescinded offers this year, and he anticipates this trend to continue in the future.
“A whole generation of scientists will be lost,” Coller said, “and that will be almost impossible to bring back.”
He encourages individuals to learn and educate themselves about the impacts of this funding cut, especially if they have been impacted by the advancements of science and medicine.
“Try to educate, learn what you can learn, and do your best to talk to people and bring information to the table that might help,” Coller suggested. “One of the best things that every American citizen can do is to call their local representatives, their state and federal representatives.”
Despite the uncertainty that the U.S. currently faces, Coller remains hopeful.
“I am very optimistic that the American people and America are very resilient,” he stated. “I really have a lot of hope that we will find our way back onto a path that makes us all proud to be Americans.”
