Researchers Uncover Function of Glycosylated Cell Surface RNA

New findings reveal how cell surface RNA clusters regulate growth factor signaling and impact cellular processes.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 10:39pm

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Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have discovered a distinct function for cell surface RNA, offering a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying cell-to-cell communication. The team found that heparan sulfate chains on the cell surface play a key role in assembling glycosylated RNAs and RNA-binding proteins into clusters that act as scaffolds, allowing them to directly bind and regulate growth factors like VEGF-A. This new pathway for information transfer from outside to inside the cell was shown to impact intracellular signaling and cellular decision-making, with implications for processes like vascular development.

Why it matters

The discovery of glycosylated RNAs on the cell surface has upended the field of cell biology, but their purpose remained unknown. This new research sheds light on how these cell surface RNA complexes function to regulate key signaling pathways and cellular behaviors, opening up new avenues for understanding development, homeostasis, and potential therapeutic interventions.

The details

The researchers found that heparan sulfate (HS) chains on the cell surface play a crucial role in assembling glycosylated RNAs (glycoRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (csRBPs) into cell surface ribonucleoprotein (csRNP) clusters. These clusters act as scaffolds, allowing the glycoRNAs and csRBPs to directly bind and regulate the activity of growth factors like VEGF-A, which is responsible for angiogenesis. By changing the abundance or organization of these cell surface RNA complexes, the team was able to modify intracellular signaling cascades, impacting cellular decision-making and processes like vascular development.

  • The recent discovery of glycoRNAs on the cell surface occurred prior to this new research.
  • The new findings were published on January 29, 2026 in the journal Nature.

The players

Ryan Flynn

MD, PhD, from the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital, and lead author of the study.

Boston Children's Hospital

The institution where the research was conducted, part of a collaborative network of experts across Boston, MIT, University of Cambridge, and UC San Diego.

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What they’re saying

“Our data establishes a new type of RNA regulation where the abundance or organization of cell surface RNPs can directly modify intracellular signaling cascades through selective interaction with growth factors, impacting cellular decision making.”

— Ryan Flynn, MD, PhD, from the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital (Nature)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate how the organization and abundance of cell surface RNA complexes can be leveraged to better understand and potentially manipulate developmental and homeostatic processes in complex cellular environments.

The takeaway

This groundbreaking research has uncovered a new mechanism by which cell surface RNAs can directly regulate intracellular signaling pathways, opening up exciting new avenues for understanding and potentially targeting key cellular processes like angiogenesis and tissue regeneration.