Researchers have designed a groundbreaking drug molecule capable of precisely eliminating TERRA, an RNA molecule that some cancer cells rely on to survive. Using a sophisticated method known as “RIBOTAC” technology, the new compound seeks out TERRA within cells and destroys it while leaving normal molecules untouched.

This advancement could open the door to a new generation of RNA-based cancer therapies that address the genetic causes of the disease rather than only managing its symptoms.

A team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has created this innovative molecule to specifically target and break down an RNA component connected to cancer development. The study, published in Advanced Sciences, was led by Dr. Raphael I. Benhamou, Elias Khaskia, and Dipak Dahatonde from the university’s Faculty of Medicine. Their research centers on TERRA, a molecule that helps maintain the protective ends of chromosomes, structures that safeguard DNA and support cellular stability.

When TERRA malfunctions, it can interfere with the normal process of cell aging and division. In some cancers, particularly aggressive types affecting the brain and bones, cancer cells exploit TERRA to continue growing and avoiding death.

“We’ve created a tool that acts like a guided missile for bad RNA,” said Dr. Benhamou. “It can find TERRA inside cancer cells and make it disappear — without harming healthy parts of the cell.”

How the RIBOTAC Works
The team built a small molecule using a technology called RIBOTAC, short for Ribonuclease-Targeting Chimera. This molecule can recognize a unique shape that TERRA folds into — known as a G-quadruplex — and then call in a natural cell enzyme, RNase L, to cut the RNA apart.

This is the first time scientists have been able to destroy TERRA so precisely. The molecule only targets TERRA and leaves other, similar RNAs untouched.

When tested in cancer cell lines, including HeLa and U2OS cells (which represent a hard-to-treat type of cancer), the treatment reduced TERRA levels and slowed cancer growth.

The discovery could lead to a new kind of medicine that fights cancer by going after RNA molecules — not just proteins, which most drugs target today.

“This is a new way of thinking about medicine,” said Benhamou. “Instead of focusing only on proteins, we’re now learning how to target the RNA that controls them. That could open the door to treating diseases we once thought were impossible to reach.”