{"entity":{"id":"rna","kind":"term","name":"RNA","aka":["messenger RNA","mRNA","transcript","transcripts","transcription"],"tldr":"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.","summary":"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.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA"}],"tags":[],"related":["dna-term","gene","protein","gene-expression"],"cancers":[],"sections":[],"technologies":["rna-seq","neoantigen-mrna-vaccine","antisense-sirna"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Biology basics"},"route":"/terms/rna/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"dna-term","kind":"term","name":"DNA","route":"/terms/dna-term/"},{"id":"gene","kind":"term","name":"Gene","route":"/terms/gene/"},{"id":"gene-expression","kind":"term","name":"Gene expression","route":"/terms/gene-expression/"},{"id":"protein","kind":"term","name":"Protein","route":"/terms/protein/"}],"technology":[{"id":"antisense-sirna","kind":"technology","name":"Oligonucleotide therapeutics","route":"/technologies/antisense-sirna/"},{"id":"neoantigen-mrna-vaccine","kind":"technology","name":"Personalised neoantigen (mRNA) vaccines","route":"/technologies/neoantigen-mrna-vaccine/"},{"id":"rna-seq","kind":"technology","name":"RNA sequencing & expression profiling","route":"/technologies/rna-seq/"}]}}