and Furuichi et al., revealed that certain viral and eukaryotic mRNAs have a cap — a methylated guanosine residue linked to the 5′ end of mRNA through an inverted 5′ to 5′ triphosphate bridge.

The popularity of mRNA-based therapeutics has surged over the past few years. To ensure the safety of these treatments, scientists need to analyze the characteristics of the manufactured molecules, ...

Abe's team overcame this hurdle by introducing a cap structure into the circular mRNA itself. This internal cap structure triggers translation initiation, bypassing the need for IRES sequences ...