RNA Interference and its therapeutic applications

RNA Interference: Molecular mechanism and milestone therapeutic applications

In time, we have become gradually more aware of the fact that RNAs play a vital role in regulation of gene expression. The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) also called post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS), gave a booster shot to the world of RNA and molecular biology, a set of reactions involving the sequence-specific degradation of targeted mRNA by short double-stranded RNA molecules...

Intracellular antibodies (intrabodies) versus RNA interference for therapeutic applications.

Currently there are two technology platforms for the ablation of protein function: (a) RNAi-mediated gene-silencing at the post-transcriptional level, and (b) intrabody knockout of protein function at the post-translational level. Both approaches hold much promise for therapeutic applications. The pertinent question is how to choose between these alternative approaches. This commentary examines...

RNA interference--significance and applications.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional, highly conserved process in eukaryotes that leads to specific gene silencing through degradation of the target mRNA. This mechanism is mediated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is homologous in sequence to the silenced gene. The dsRNA is processed into small interfering RNA (siRNA) by an enzyme called Dicer, and the siRNAs are then incorpora...

RNA interference: Mechanisms and Applications

The therapeutic potential of RNA interference.

In recent years, we have witnessed the discovery of a new mechanism of gene regulation called RNA interference (RNAi), which has revitalized interest in the development of nucleic acid-based technologies for therapeutic gene suppression. This review focuses on the potential therapeutic use of RNAi, discussing the theoretical advantages of RNAi-based therapeutics over previous technologies as we...