‘Origami’ method could speed up diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease

Researchers have developed a technique that can identify errors caused by mutations linked to a range of genetic disorders, including forms of muscular dystrophy, Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which could accelerate accurate diagnosis of these conditions.

The technique, developed by researchers led by the University of Cambridge, uses RNA samples stretched into usable shapes and tiny glass holes known as nanopores, to analyse sections of RNA that have multiplied far beyond their normal length.

These expanded stretches interrupt the cell’s machinery and can trigger conditions known as repeat expansion disorders, which affect approximately one in every 280 people. Scientists say that as many of 90% of people with these disorders are undiagnosed, which poses the need for a fast and affordable test for sizing the repeats. (…)

Working with colleagues from the University of Belgrade in Serbia, the Cambridge researchers stretched RNA molecules into labelled nanostructures using short pieces of DNA, then passed the structures through a nanopore. As the molecules travelled through the pore, they produced an electrical signal whose pattern corresponded to the RNA’s shape, including how many repeats it contained.

This RNA origami method achieved a resolution of just 18 nucleotides — the essential building blocks of RNA and DNA— enough to tell apart healthy and disease‑associated repeat sections. The results are reported in the journal Nature Communications.

From: Cambridge Research News. Read the whole article here: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/origami-method-could-speed-up-diagnosis-of-neurodegenerative-disease

Reference:
Gerardo Patino Guillen et al. ‘Quantification of disease-associated RNA tandem repeats by nanopore sensing.’ Nature Communications (2026) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72819-5

Posted on 09/06/2026