14 BioPharm International
®
Next-Generation Biotherapeutics April 2025 www.biopharminternational.com
M
essenger RNA (mRNA) had its moment
in the early part of the 2020s, becoming
a worldwide buzzword due to its deploy-
ment in some of the rst widely available
COVID-19 vaccines. A closely related molecule is
now, at least one company hopes, taking center stage
to help ght a dierent family of diseases.
Alltrna, a biotechnology company headquartered
in Cambridge, Mass., has developed a platform to
harness the power of transfer RNA (tRNA), a "little
cousin" of messenger RNA, designed to use the mol-
ecules' sophisticated biology to create programmable
medicines intended to accelerate and scale the cre-
ation of new genetic therapies.
According to Alltrna, unlike other genetic medi-
cines, engineered tRNAs have the power to correct
shared genetic mutations and restore protein pro-
duction that has been disrupted, giving tRNAs the
potential to play a unique role in the treatment of
genetic diseases (1,2).
Sandra Visser, PhD, is senior vice president and
head of therapeutics development at Alltrna, join-
ing the company in late 2024 af ter having worked
for major pharmaceutical companies in capacities
from early-stage discovery to lifecycle management
across multiple therapeutic areas and modalities. She
spoke with BioPharm International® about Alltrna's
tRNA platform, which she believes is an advanta-
geous opportunity for patients, but also something
the scientific world at large will want to watch.
Defining and leveraging tRNA
BioPharm: Can you tell us more about tRNA. What is it
and why can it be considered the 'little cousin' of mRNA?
TRNA: Little Cousin,
Big Potential
Patrick Lavery
Transfer RNA is being investigated as a treatment for
as many as 400 rare and ultra-rare diseases affecting the liver.
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MCGARR
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MJH
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