Finding Therapies in Long Non-Coding RNA: John Rinn on The Long Run

John Rinn is today’s guest on The Long Run.

John is the Leslie Orgel and Marvin Caruthers professor of RNA science at the University of Colorado in Boulder. His research is focused on long non-coding RNAs.

John Rinn, professor of RNA science, University of Colorado; co-founder, Lincswitch Therapeutics

This is the vast expanse of the genome that doesn’t contain genes with code for making proteins. Researchers once dismissed this area of the genome as “junk DNA.” Now it’s sometimes filed under the broad header of the “dark genome” — a place with a lot of potential to discover basic underpinnings of health and disease. They are often involved in gene expression, especially during early development, and increasingly seen as regulators in basic cell processes.

For some basic terms and an overview, I’d encourage listeners to go read a paper in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology from January 2023.

There is a lot of basic science here – the curiosity-driven, how-stuff-works line of research that sometimes takes us in unexpected directions. But some of this work already has clear industrial application.

John is a co-founder of a startup called Lincswitch Therapeutics which seeks to “switch” a problematic long non-coding RNA or lnc-RNA, into a healthier state. Triatomic Capital, SALT, BlueSpruce and Mossrock are among the company’s early investors.

John got access to a lot of the early-generation tools, and people who knew how to use them, thanks to support during his postdoc days from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. As a big supporter of Damon Runyon through my Timmerman Traverse expeditions, I’m always curious to hear what alumni are working on to push the frontiers of medicine.

Now, please join me and John Rinn on The Long Run.