termsTerm
RNA
aka messenger RNA, mRNA, transcript, transcripts, transcription
A working copy of a gene, made when the cell needs to use it. If DNA is the master library, RNA is the photocopy taken to the workshop.
When a gene is switched on, the cell transcribes it into RNA; messenger RNA (mRNA) then travels out of the nucleus and is translated into protein. Measuring which RNAs a tumour makes (RNA sequencing) shows which genes are active, reveals gene fusions, and underlies tests like PAM50 and Oncotype DX. RNA is also a therapeutic tool: mRNA vaccines instruct the patient's cells to display tumour antigens, and antisense and siRNA drugs destroy the RNA of a target gene before it can be made into protein.
Category
Biology basics