UC Irvine Engineers Breakthrough Enzyme for Synthetic Genetic Material

The new enzyme, 10-92 TNA polymerase, enables the synthesis of threose nucleic acid, opening doors for advanced therapeutic applications.

The 10-92 TNA polymerase is a newly engineered enzyme that can efficiently synthesize threose nucleic acid (TNA), a stable synthetic genetic material.
The enzyme's development marks a significant achievement in synthetic biology, narrowing the performance gap between natural and artificial enzyme systems.
TNA's inherent biostability offers potential for a broader range of treatments, including those for cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, and infectious diseases.
Developed through homologous recombination, 10-92 TNA polymerase rearranges polymerase fragments from archaebacteria, achieving activity levels comparable to natural enzymes.
Future TNA-based drugs could provide improved therapeutic options, such as therapeutic aptamers, which offer high specificity and better tissue penetration compared to traditional antibodies.