Frontier in Nucleic Acids and Beyond: Redefining and Applications of Nucleic Acid Science for the Future of Drug Discovery

Nucleic acids have shown to play multifaceted roles beyond their traditional understanding as carriers of genetic information including, the regulation of biological functions, and serving as structural materials. Nucleic acid science is evolving into a new field of science. Technological innovations like mRNA vaccines and synthetic nucleotides are expanding applications into therapeutic modalities. Advances in analyzing intron regions, ncRNAs, biologically functional molecules derived from non-coding sequences, and the epitranscriptome are deepening our understanding of life. As nucleic acid research becomes central to international strategies driven by advances in AI and information science, Japan will leverage its strengths by focusing on redefining nucleic acid functions, multi-level integrated analysis, and evolving nucleic acid technologies. By advancing fundamental research that leads to innovative nucleic acid-based drug discovery, we aim to extend Japan’s healthy life expectancy and strengthen international competitiveness.