RNA Economics, Ethics, and Regulatory Issues

RNA—ribonucleic acid is a molecular polymer with various biological roles in coding, translating, regulating, and expressing genes. Based on function, RNA is divided into three types: mRNA (messenger RNA), rRNA (ribosomal RNA), and tRNA (transfer RNA). Based on the structure, RNA is separated into double-stranded RNA and circular RNA. In general, RNA technology has become progressively essential in multiple fields, such as research, diagnostics, and therapeutics. It also offers an accomplished appliance for understanding biology and addressing various challenges in the healthcare field and biotechnology. Currently, mRNA is being used the most to develop mRNA technology, which involves implanting mRNA into the human body, and then proteins or protein fragments that can provide an immune response against disease will be created by the synthesizing process of the body. This technology offers many advantages, especially in the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nevertheless, there are several obstacles to RNA therapeutic development, such as economics, ethics, and regulations. Concerns about these matters may include how RNA therapy affects a nation’s economy and personal circumstances, whether it transgresses social-ethical norms, and whether it will be restricted by specific regulations considering the therapy’s rapid advancement and forecast popularity. In this chapter, we discuss some of the main issues of RNA technology and its application in varied fields, as mentioned above.