Center for RNA Therapeutics
8024
Citations
6
Faculty With Academic Appointments
39
Peer-reviewed Publications in 2023
About the Center
The Center for RNA Therapeutics at Houston Methodist is a unique academic operation that has the mission: (1) to perform rigorous research that reveals foundational biological mechanisms in RNA biology; (2) to translate that knowledge into novel RNA-based products; and (3) to assist other academic groups and small companies develop their great ideas into transformative RNA therapeutics.
The Center has invested in the personnel and resources to construct an assembly line to translate RNA discoveries toward the clinic. The Center is enriched by scientists with skills in RNA construct design, synthesis, purification and validation; a GLP program to generate pre-clinical data for IND submissions; a cGMP team with clean rooms to manufacture clinical grade RNA therapeutics; a first-in-man clinical trials unit; and faculty collaborators in the Department of Nanomedicine who devise customized solutions for RNA delivery. Members of our program are funded by the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Defense, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and collaborations with industry partners.
The Center has invested in the personnel and resources to construct an assembly line to translate RNA discoveries toward the clinic. The Center is enriched by scientists with skills in RNA construct design, synthesis, purification and validation; a GLP program to generate pre-clinical data for IND submissions; a cGMP team with clean rooms to manufacture clinical grade RNA therapeutics; a first-in-man clinical trials unit; and faculty collaborators in the Department of Nanomedicine who devise customized solutions for RNA delivery. Members of our program are funded by the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Defense, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and collaborations with industry partners.
The CPRIT RNACore is a key focal point of this support and is funded by a recently renewed multi-year CPRIT grant, as well as industry partnerships. The RNACore is funded by the State of Texas to facilitate pre-clinical studies in RNA therapeutics; to generate innovative research grade constructs for the scientific community; and to produce RNA therapeutics in our onsite cGMP manufacturing facility for clinical trials.
Check Out Our New Brochures:
The Center for RNA Theraputics Brochure
mRNA therapeutics for Skin Rejuvenation Brochure
Check Out Our New Brochures:
The Center for RNA Theraputics Brochure
mRNA therapeutics for Skin Rejuvenation Brochure
Our Leadership
Medical Director
John P. Cooke, MD, PhD
Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences
Director, Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Administrative Director
Susmitha K. Gadde, MBBS, MBA, CCRP
Research Administrative Director
Center for RNA Therapeutics
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center
Operations Manager
Ray Prakash
Sr. Research Operations Manager
Center for RNA Therapeutics
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center
Our Primary Investigators
Education Outreach
REACHMD Videos with John P. Cooke, MD, PhD
Unwinding mRNA Medicine: How It WorksCurrent & Future Directions of mRNA Medicine
Overcoming Obstacles in Regenerative Medicine with mRNA Therapeutics
Breaking Down Barriers to Accessing mRNA Medicine
A Review of Regenerative Medicine & Future mRNA Applications
Democratizing RNA Nanotherapeutics (John P. Cooke, MD, PhD) - February 2, 2021
How RNA Therapeutics will Change Cardiovascular Medicine (John P. Cooke, MD, PhD) - December 21, 2020
How Single Cell Omics Will Change Cardiovascular Sciences (John P. Cooke, MD, PhD) - January 11, 2021
Job Opportunities
Services and Research Labs
RNA Core
The RNAcore is supported by CPRIT, NIH and internal funds to provide access to a variety of state-of-the-art technologies and approaches for RNA manufacturing. The RNAcore is staffed with experienced scientists and cutting-edge equipment to generate high-fidelity research- and clinical-grade RNA, including mRNA, modified mRNA (mmRNA), personalized RNA molecules for any desired species with specific modifications, and noncoding RNA. The RNAcore supports both academic groups and startups to attain the near limitless potential of RNA Therapeutics.
Learn More
Dan Kiss Lab
The Kiss RNA Lab is a collaborative group that seeks to better understand fundamental mechanisms in RNA biology and apply those insights into generating novel RNA therapeutics. This group leverages RNA molecular biology tools with both specialized and traditional RNA sequencing approaches combined with long-read sequencing to elucidate how these RNA-mediated changes occur. The main research interests include the molecular biology of cytoplasmic capping and novel RNA therapeutics against COVID19 as well as microRNA-driven cancers.
Explore the Kiss Lab
Keith Youker Lab
he Youker Lab studies the role of the immune system and metabolism in heart failure. Particularly, the lab is interested in inflammation and its role in the progression of heart failure by using combinational approaches including electron microscopy, advanced molecular biology techniques including single cell omics and transgenic heart failure models. In addition, the lab is developing an RNA vaccine for heart failure.
Explore Keith Youker’s research
Yi-Lan Weng Lab
The Weng Lab explores RNA epigenetic regulation in the adult nervous system, and its therapeutic modulation for neural repair and neurological disorders. They study m6A RNA methylation in regulating RNA trafficking, localization and translation, and the dysfunction of these mechanisms in neurological disorders, using next-generation sequencing, molecular biology and fluorescence imaging to study the epitranscriptomic mechanisms in neural repair and human pathologies during development.
Explore the Weng Lab
Francesca Taraballi Lab
The Taraballi Lab develops nano- and bio- materials, both injectable and implantable, to target the immune system toward tissue restoration. Their innovative nanotechnology platforms and biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine include biomaterials functionalization to target immune system, synthesis and functionalization of biomimetic nanoparticles to target and treat inflammatory conditions, biomimetic in vitro systems to study complex cancer environments, drug delivery system for the sustained release of proteins, cytokines, antibiotics and analgesics and smart materials development (injectable and implantable) to enhance surgical outcomes.
Explore the Francesca Taraballi Lab
Biana Godin Lab
The Godin Lab develops physiologically relevant in vitro and in vivo disease models, exploiting physical and biological mechanisms to improve therapeutics and diagnostics. The Godin lab develops advanced nanocarriers for oncotherapies, leveraging physical sciences in oncology and novel strategies to target tumor microenvironment. In addition, they develop nanovectors for improved treatment of infectious diseases and cardiovascular disorders.
Learn about the research the Godin lab is conducting
Shu-Hsia Chen Lab
The Chen Lab elucidates mechanisms underlying the immune suppressive tumor microenvironments, a major impediment to the success of immune-based cancer therapies. They intend to overcome cancer cell resistance to immune and chemo-radiation therapies. They examine the mechanisms of immune suppression mediated by myeloid derived suppressor cells, macrophages, B cells and T regulatory cells. In addition, they examine novel immune checkpoint pathways that influence tumor growth, receptor/ligand interaction and the tumor microenvironment. Currently they are developing novel therapeutic agents that effectively target tumors or tumor stromal cells, increasing local antigen priming and T cell activation/infiltration for subsequent immunotherapy.
Explore Shu-Hsia’s research
Roderic Pettigrew Lab
Through Houston Methodist's collaboration with Texas A&M, Engineering Medicine program, Dr. Pettigrew’s lab at Houston Methodist Research Institute focuses on the study of the mechanisms of aging in the cardiovascular system. Our approach is based on studying the cellular changes that underlie aging through structural analysis of cardiovascular cell structure. By combining engineering approaches and biology, we seek to build models that help us understand the physical changes that underlie aging to develop new therapies. Using this experimental approach, the lab can then focus on develop novel nanoparticle systems that selectively target cardiovascular cells, to correct these age-related physical changes. The lab is also focused on engineering biomimetic lipid nanoparticles to deliver RNA to create the next generation of therapies for other cardiovascular diseases.
Get In Touch
Center for RNA Therapeutics
Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute
6670 Bertner Ave., 10th floor
Houston, TX 77030
713-363-8554
rnacore@houstonmethodist.org
Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute
6670 Bertner Ave., 10th floor
Houston, TX 77030
713-363-8554
rnacore@houstonmethodist.org
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