# Nucleic acid modulators and theranostics for ADAR

> **NIH NIH R35** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $113,890

## Abstract

Project Summary
The objectives of this MIRA application are to 1) in vivo profiling of heterogeneous Adenosine deaminase acting
on RNA (ADAR) using RNA nano-reporters as a tool to understand ADAR biology and guide the design of ADAR-
based therapy; 2) promoting endogenous ADAR modulation using chimeric ADAR aptamer-gRNA (guide RNA)
and a type I interferon (IFN-I)-activating DNA oligonucleotide that induces ADAR1; 3) targeted delivery of
albumin-hitchhiking DNA/RNA for endogenous ADAR-based gene therapy and immunotherapy; and 4) pilot
testing of these theranostics in mouse models of Factor V Leiden (FVL) thrombophilia and metastatic melanoma.
ADAR mediates RNA Adenosine-to-Inosine editing in metazoans. ADAR is an intriguing endogenous RNA editor
for the gene therapy of diseases caused by pathogenic G->A mutations, such as FVL thrombophilia; moreover,
ADAR1 inhibition in tumor cells sensitizes their immunotherapy. However, ADAR levels are highly
heterogeneous and dynamic across individuals, tissues, and cell environments, making it pivotal for
spatiotemporal ADAR profiling to study ADAR biology and design personalized ADAR-based therapy. To this
end, we will develop and test an ADAR reporter for non-invasive real-time ADAR profiling in vivo, using an ADAR-
activatable split luciferase mRNA reporter followed by bioluminescence imaging. Further, the often low
endogenous ADAR levels limit ADAR editing efficacy, which impedes ADAR biological discovery and theranostic
applications. To address this challenge and promote the RNA editing efficacy of endogenous ADAR, we will
study two strategies: 1) using ADAR aptamer-gRNA chimera to promote ADAR binding and editing of RNA; and
2) using our novel IFN-I-activating DNA agonist for cyclic GMP-AMP synthase to elevate ADAR levels and
promote ADAR modulatory efficacy. All these nucleic acid theranostics, such as aptamers, siRNA, and mRNA,
hold great potential to reshape human medicine. Yet, naked DNA/RNA has limited clinical success thus far,
largely due to poor pharmacokinetics (PK) and inability to enter cells, calling for mechanistic understanding and
manipulation of the interactions between biological systems and DNA/RNA. Previously, we developed a
molecular albumin hitchhiker and nanoparticles that promoted the PK and delivery of nucleic acids by up to 200
folds. Here, we will use lipid nanoparticles to deliver mRNA reporters for in vivo ADAR profiling; we will study
targeted delivery of albumin-hitchhiking ADAR nucleic acid therapeutics, including aptamer-gRNA chimera for
FVL thrombophilia gene therapy and siRNAADAR1 for advanced melanoma immunotherapy. We will engineer
nucleic acid scaffolds to co-deliver synergistic nucleic acids at defined stoichiometry. We will delineate the
engineering principles to improve the PK, (co-)delivery, safety, and therapeutic efficacy, and promote intracellular
trafficking and target interaction; we will study the impact of targeting ligands (aptamers, peptides, N-
acetylgal...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10490352
- **Project number:** 5R35GM143014-02
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Guizhi Zhu
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $113,890
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-18 → 2023-06-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10490352

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10490352, Nucleic acid modulators and theranostics for ADAR (5R35GM143014-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10490352. Licensed CC0.

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