Air Force researchers have developed a DNA-based therapeutic for treating diseases that have promoter sequences unique to the pathogen and not the host organism, i.e., a human.

Such diseases include, but are not limited to, viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections as well as many forms of benign and malignant tumors.

Such rapidly designed potential therapies could be applied in compassionate use cases, as a last resort intervention for emergent epidemics, or as a mitigation strategy for seasonal outbreaks.