Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid found in all living cells that is structurally identical to DNA. RNA, unlike DNA, is typically single-stranded. Instead of the deoxyribose present in DNA, the backbone of an RNA molecule is formed of alternating phosphate groups and the sugar ribose.

Addressing some Research questions Regarding RNAs :
Surprisingly, whereas lncRNAs may be found throughout the body, an estimated 40% are expressed solely in the brain, implying brain-specific activities. Neuroscientists have just begun to use lncRNAs for a basic brain process: memory creation and storage. 

• What functions do these transcripts play in memory and learning?
•  How did the human brain develop to use them for these purposes?
•  Which lncRNAs are involved in memory disorders?

The Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland has made an intriguing discovery about RNA and its role in how we learn and remember unpleasant situations. Everything boils down to how RNA controls cellular processes in the brain.

Fear extinction is hampered in those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).This discovery has the ability to change the mechanisms underlying the formation of fear extinction memory. ‘This new information may inform the development of future RNA therapies to address PTSD’ a lot of researchers are bringing up this fact!. 

Understanding PTSD in brief : People suffering from PTSD have powerful, unsettling thoughts and sensations about their traumatic experience that remain long after the incident has finished. They may relive the incident in flashbacks or dreams, experience grief, dread, or fury, and feel disconnected or estranged from others. PTSD can occur in all people, of any ethnicity, nationality or culture, and at any age. PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in adolescents ages 13 -18 is 8%. An estimated one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime.It is also possible to have higher degrees of PTSD symptoms at other times, such as during war, a pandemic, or a natural disaster.Many people will fulfill the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis at some point in their lives, and whether or not a person develops PTSD after suffering trauma is determined by a number of variables.

Understanding where, when, and how an RNA molecule is triggered, as well as having a precise identifier, would aid in the identification of therapeutic targets!