On Jul. 3, 2026, a research team led by Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig Maximilian University has developed TAPIR, a CRISPR-based technology that enables precise control of protein production in cells. The method provides new insights into the regulation of stem cells, cancer, and rare diseases, while opening up new opportunities for biomedical research.

The speed at which a cell produces proteins is a decisive factor in determining whether it divides, specializes, or retains its stem cell properties. Together with international collaborators, the team led by Stefan Stricker, Head of the Research Group Epigenetic Engineering at the Institute of Stem Cell Research at Helmholtz Munich and Professor at the Biomedical Center (BMC) of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), has now demonstrated for the first time that the amount of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) directly regulates these processes. The results have been published in the journal Science.

It has been established for some time that the amount of ribosomal RNA differs between different types of cells and is altered in the case of a number of diseases. But it remained unclear whether these specific characteristics are the cause or merely the result of biological processes.

With the newly developed CRISPR-based method TAPIR (Targeted Activation of Protein Translation), researchers now have access to a tool that can boost the activity of ribosomal genes and influence a cell’s protein production as a result.

The results could be particularly relevant for diseases in which ribosome function is disturbed. These include ribosomopathies such as Treacher-Collins syndrome, a rare congenital disease that causes facial malformations. In a mouse model, the researchers successfully managed to partially compensate for disease-related alterations by stimulating rRNA production in a targeted way.

It is conceivable that in the future this approach will be suitable for treating diseases associated with reduced ribosome function and also open up new targets for therapies to combat tumors in which protein production has spiraled out of control.

In addition, the research team observed that similar mechanisms also play a role in pancreatic cancer. Tumor cells seem to use increased rRNA production to maintain their rapid growth. In the mouse model for pancreatic cancer, TAPIR was able to increase rRNA production and promote the growth of the cancer cells. This shows that the increased rRNA production has a causal effect in contributing to tumor growth and is not just a side effect.