The Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Embrapii (Brazilian Company for Industrial Research and Innovation) announced on Monday (31st) the creation of the Embrapii Center of Competence in RNA Therapies and Vaccines, which will operate at BH-TEC, in Belo Horizonte. The project has an investment of R$ 60 million over the next four years and will focus on the development of new applications of RNA technology in the health area.
RNA technology, which was fundamental in the development of vaccines against Covid-19, will be the central object of research of the new center. Among the first studies is the development of an RNA vaccine that, according to those responsible for the center, represents a technology still unprecedented in the world.
In addition to vaccine production, the structure will also research the use of RNA in treatments against cancer and other diseases. The coordination of the center is in charge of Santuza Teixeira, a professor at UFMG, who explained that positive results of phase 3 clinical studies of an RNA vaccine were recently published.
