#  ARPA-H Funds HMS-Led Pilot Project to Develop New Class of RNA Medicines 

 





Simple genetic switches known as riboswitches have great promise for targeted precision medicine



 

September 01, 2026

 

 

A team led by Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers is exploring the possibility of creating an entire new class of medicines, with up to $4.4 million in federal funding from the [Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health](https://arpa-h.gov/) (ARPA-H) under its [PROPEL](https://arpa-h.gov/explore-funding/awards/4649) project.

The award, in the form of a contract to HMS, supports a one-year, multi-institution pilot project to accelerate the development of RNA medications that would use genetic switches called riboswitches to regulate genes within the human body. If the ambitious effort pans out, this platform could eventually apply to many different diseases, including cancer, metabolic diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune disorders, neurodegeneration, and rare genetic diseases.

Led by principal investigator [Silvi Rouskin](https://www.rouskinlab.com/), assistant professor of microbiology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS, the team includes collaborators at MIT’s [Whitehead Institute](https://wi.mit.edu/) and [RNAV8 Bio](https://www.rnav8bio.com/) (pronounced “renovate”), a biotech firm that specializes in mRNA engineering. The PROPEL project is managed by Program Manager Dr. Shannon Greene in ARPA-H’s Health Science Futures Office.

The project launched in late July 2026.

Read [full article](https://hms.harvard.edu/news/arpa-h-funds-hms-led-pilot-project-develop-new-class-rna-medicines?utm_source=OCERMarketingCloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=09.01.2026-HMNews&utm_content=ARPA-H+Funds+an+HMS-Led+Pilot+Project+To+Develop+a+New+Class+of+RNA+Medicines).



 

 

 



 

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