RNA Therapeutics Target Cancer Cells

Ohio State researchers develop nanoparticles to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and therapies directly to tumors.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed tiny molecular clusters called RNA micelles that can deliver chemotherapy drugs and other therapies directly to tumors, killing cancer cells without generating an immune response or toxicity-related side effects. The RNA micelles were loaded with a potent chemo drug and an RNA molecule that blocks cancer survival, and were coated with a tumor-targeting molecule. Treatment with these RNA micelles almost completely depleted metastatic colorectal cancer tumors in mouse lungs within 26 days.

Why it matters

Developing effective RNA therapeutic technology is crucial for treating colorectal cancer lung metastasis, which has a poor prognosis with only 16.2% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis. This new nanoparticle approach could provide a way to efficiently treat metastatic colorectal cancer without the toxicity issues that often come with traditional chemotherapy.

The details

The researchers constructed the RNA micelles by combining multiple copies of the chemo drug gemcitabine with a molecule called a small interfering RNA to silence the gene encoding for survivin, a protein that helps cancer cells survive. They also attached a ligand molecule to the micelles to enhance their ability to bind to receptors on cancer cell surfaces. In cell culture experiments, the combined therapy of chemo and gene silencing induced DNA damage and programmed cell death in human colorectal cancer cells. In animal experiments, the micelle therapy significantly reduced metastatic colorectal tumors in mouse lungs compared to control groups receiving only chemo or gene silencing alone.

  • The study was published on January 20, 2026 in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
  • The related Nature Protocols publication from the same research group was published on February 3, 2026.

The players

Peixuan Guo

Sylvan G. Frank Endowed Chair professor in the Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology at The Ohio State University, senior study author, and an investigator in The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Kai Jin

First author of the colorectal cancer study and a PhD student in Peixuan Guo's lab.

Daniel Binzel

Co-author of the study and a research assistant professor of pharmaceutics and pharmacology at Ohio State.

RNA Nanobiotics

A company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that holds exclusive global licenses to multiple patents covering RNA nanoparticle platforms for targeted cancer therapy and RNA exosome technologies developed by Peixuan Guo at Ohio State and the University of Kentucky.

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What they’re saying

“Developing RNA therapeutic technology is key to treating colorectal cancer lung metastasis because there is no cure. We've developed a nanoparticle that can treat it efficiently without toxicity – the particle spontaneously targets the cancer and no toxicity is detected.”

— Peixuan Guo, Sylvan G. Frank Endowed Chair professor in the Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology at The Ohio State University

“The main idea of the micelle studies is that we can literally prove part of the idea we talk about in the Nature Protocols paper. The micelle paper is an example of how a different kind of RNA nanoparticle can be achieved.”

— Kai Jin, First author of the colorectal cancer study and a PhD student in Peixuan Guo's lab

“It's a two-pronged approach. The chemotherapy is killing the cells and the small interfering RNA is blocking survival gene expression. The two together help kill the cells in multiple different pathways.”

— Daniel Binzel, Co-author of the study and a research assistant professor of pharmaceutics and pharmacology at Ohio State

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue studying the potential of RNA nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy, with the goal of advancing this technology towards clinical trials and eventual approval for patient use.

The takeaway

This innovative approach using RNA-based nanoparticles to deliver combination cancer therapies directly to tumors represents a promising new frontier in the fight against metastatic colorectal cancer, which has historically been very difficult to treat effectively. The ability to target cancer cells while minimizing toxic side effects could be a game-changer for patients facing this deadly disease.