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“Francesca is the hardest working person I know, and she is unique in combining such a great work ethic with an ability to prioritize and address important problems,” says Christian Kastrup, PhD, a Senior Investigator and Leader of the Transfusion Medicine, Vascular Biology & Cell Therapy Program at VBRI, as well as a co-founder of Syrina Therapeutics. “Researchers at VBRI are making world-class contributions to science and medicine, and this recognition that Francesca received is one example of that excellence and level of innovation.”

Ferraresso’s work bridges her academic research with commercial translation through Syrina Therapeutics. The collaboration has achieved a key milestone by demonstrating that self-amplifying RNA can deliver therapeutic protein levels in the liver for more than 30 days, a breakthrough that has attracted interest from various pharmaceutical companies and investors.

“We've demonstrated that self-amplifying RNA can maintain therapeutic protein levels for over 30 days, which could transform treatment regimens for patients with rare disorders who have limited standard of care,” Ferraresso says. “Moving from promising preclinical data to clinical trials requires a focused effort by Syrina Therapeutics. Our efforts bring us closer to offering patients with rare diseases a more convenient, less invasive treatment option."