The 250 Millionth Chemical Is Born!

With the rapid development of life sciences, the beginning of the biological age is slowly unfolding, and this trend is also reflected in the growing content of biological sequences in CAS REGISTRY. A new oligonucleotide for quality control of mRNA vaccines has received its 250 millionth CAS registry number, according to the American Chemical Society CAS.

The 250 millionth substance was assigned the CAS registry number 2627558-64-7. The compound patent belongs to Moderna.

The 250 millionth substance is a short strand of genetic material consisting of DNA and RNA, and such mixed oligonucleotides may have important applications in the quality control assays required for state-of-the-art mRNA drugs and vaccines, including for COVID-19 developed vaccine.

Chemically modified to prevent degradation, this oligonucleotide binds to specific regions of the mRNA and "directs" the enzymatic breakdown of ribonuclease H (RNase H). The signature detected using HPLC-UV or LC-MS can be used by drug manufacturers to reveal degradation or other problems with the mRNA of the tested batch. The system is a breakthrough in providing the stringent quality control needed as scientists work to develop a growing number of safe new therapeutic applications for mRNA.