# Columbia Team Reports Protein Fibers Carry RNA Into Sperm Cells

The October 26 study account describes laboratory findings and possible future delivery research.

By Will Langan | 24X7 News
Published: 2026-10-27T10:04:07.681Z
Updated: 2026-10-27T10:04:07.681Z
Section: Science
Format: News
Canonical: https://24x7news.us/articles/columbia-amyloid-rna-sperm-cell-research-2026

Launch Catch-Up — Study Reported October 26, 2026

Columbia University researchers reported that amyloid protein fibers can bind RNA and carry it into sperm cells, identifying a possible route for genetic messages in seminal fluid.

The Zuckerman Institute’s October 26 account describes research published that day in Molecular Cell. The team used fluorescent labels to follow the molecules and cryo-electron tomography to confirm that labeled fibers entered cells rather than simply attaching to their surfaces.

In another experiment, the fibers helped deliver RNA encoding a fluorescent protein. Embryos produced using the treated sperm generated at least ten times more of that protein than the comparison group exposed to RNA without amyloids, the institute said.

Researchers do not yet know what naturally transported RNA does after entering sperm. They suggested that the mechanism could eventually inform gene-delivery technologies, but the work does not establish a safe clinical delivery system or a treatment for inherited disease.

Sources:
Columbia Zuckerman Institute, October 26: https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/protein-fibers-hallmark-alzheimer-s-spotted-making-deliveries-sperm

## Sources
- Columbia Zuckerman Institute: October 26 research account: https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/protein-fibers-hallmark-alzheimer-s-spotted-making-deliveries-sperm