An illustration of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)
Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
Sixteen people have benefited from an experimental mRNA therapy that replaces a faulty enzyme behind a rare inherited condition, the biotech company Moderna announced on 19 May. This is great news for those with this condition, but its significance extends further: if this kind of mRNA therapy proves to be safe and effective, it could help treat a huge range of conditions and might even revolutionise medicine.
The people in the trial, aged 1 year and up, have a condition called propionic …