Current Issue

Research progress on cell surface RNA

BAI Si-Jia, YU Jia, YANG Jia-Bin, MA Yan-Ni^*

State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China

Abstract

Conventionally, it is believed that the biological functions of RNA are confined to the interior of cells, and the existence of functional RNAs on cell surface as well as their potential mechanisms of action have long remained unclear. In recent years, the discovery and functional research of cell surface RNA have completely revolutionized this traditional perception, confirming its important biological significance as a class of novel surface functional molecules. This review systematically summarizes the latest research advances in the field of cell surface RNA, focusing on four aspects: its classification and characteristics, detection and identification technologies, biogenesis and transport mechanisms, as well as biological functions. It also summarizes the current technical bottlenecks and key scientific challenges in this field, providing a reference for interdisciplinary studies in RNA biology, glycobiology, and immunology.

Key words: cell surface RNA; glycoRNA; cell membrane; immune regulation

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 马艳妮　　E-mail:

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2026.0071

Citing This Article：

BAI Si-Jia, YU Jia, YANG Jia-Bin, MA Yan-Ni. Research progress on cell surface RNA. Acta Physiol Sin 2026; 78 (4): 723-730 (in Chinese with English abstract).