{
  "id": 6245940,
  "title": "Cap-Independent Translation Regulation of VEGF Using CRISPR-dCas13d",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/cap-independent-translation-regulation-of-vegf-using-crispr-dcas13d",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.04.749420v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a crucial role in promoting angiogenesis in cancer and retinal diseases. A G-quadruplex (GQ) structure within VEGF's Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) initiates cap-independent translation under hypoxic conditions. Researchers have discovered that blocking this GQ with a dCas13d protein suppresses VEGF translation by up to 5-fold, without affecting mRNA levels. This phenomenon was observed in HeLa and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) through immunofluorescence, western blot assays, and bicistronic dual-luciferase experiments. Single molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) and fluorescence enhancement assays confirmed the destabilization of the GQ by CRISPR-dCas13d. The study also investigated the functional implications of this regulation through a tube formation assay in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAOECs), yielding consistent results with VEGF expression levels. The findings demonstrate the potential of CRISPR-dCas13d as a precise and temporary translation regulator for genes containing translationally active secondary structures.",
  "summary": "Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a central driver of pathological angiogenesis in cancer and retinal disease. A G-quadruplex (GQ) structure that forms in an Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) of VEGF was proposed to recruit the 40S ribosome and initiate cap-independent translation under hypoxia. We demonstrate that blocking this GQ with dCas13d represses VEGF translation by up to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}