From HIV to Inflammation: How RNA Biology Redefined Drug Discovery

• Obefazimod pioneers RNA biogenesis modulation as a therapeutic strategy. • Small molecules can stabilize RNA–protein complexes such as CBC–ARS2 to enhance microRNA production. • The CBC–ARS2–miR-124 axis links RNA metabolism to immune homeostasis. • HIV RNA splicing studies unexpectedly revealed an inflammation-control mechanism. • Pharmacological tuning of host RNA pathways inaugurates a new class of small-molecule immunomodulators.