The company’s technology, developed by Hirohito SAITO of CiRA, is based on RNA switch” used for screening cells in regenerative medicine. An complementary RNA binds to miRNA in a cell or an RNA aptamer binds to a specific protein and thus responds to specific miRNAs present in the cell. miRNA is a single-stranded RNA molecule of 21 to 25 bases regulating gene expression. By turning on or off the RNA switch, expression of the target gene is suppressed or activated within the cell. The technology will be used both as a research reagent and for manufacturing cardiomyocytes derived from iPS cells. “
Nikkei Biotech news release, May 17, 2018
Kyoto University spins out aceRNA Technologies venture