Articles tagged with Rna Interference
Phillip A Sharp will receive the 2007 Winthrop-Sears Award for his groundbreaking work on RNA splicing, a discovery that has led to significant advances in understanding cancer and other diseases. The award recognizes Sharp's entrepreneurial spirit as well, including his role as cofounder of Biogen.
Researchers have discovered a new substance called Zorro-LNA that can bind to both strands of DNA simultaneously, effectively disabling genes. This development has significant implications for treating dominant genetic disorders such as Huntington's disease and polycystic kidney disease.
Researchers have made significant breakthroughs with RNAi gene therapy, showing its effectiveness in shutting down viruses that cause diseases such as hepatitis and HIV in mice. With three human trials underway, the technique may be on the verge of widespread use for treating various human diseases.
The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research honors scientists whose work has the potential to transform human health. This year's award includes a $100,000 cash prize and will be selected by an independent committee chaired by Dr. Solomon Snyder.
Researchers have discovered that RNA interference (RNAi) regulates local protein synthesis in axonal nerve fibers, enabling the repair of damaged nerves. This breakthrough provides new hope for treating degenerative disorders and injuries affecting the nervous system.
The study reveals two molecular pathways controlling the organization of the nucleolus, a critical organelle that manufactures ribosomes, and heterochromatin, which mediates gene silencing. These findings have implications for understanding genome stability and its relation to human disorders like birth defects and cancer.
A study published in JCI Journal shows that silencing the PrPc gene suppresses BSE and CJD accumulation, offering a new approach to treat these fatal diseases. The therapy delayed PrPsc accumulation in mice, providing potential hope for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders.
The 2006 AAAS Science Journalism Awards honored exceptional science reporting on Alzheimer's disease, climate change in the American West, and crop research. Winners included Stacey Burling for her story on Alzheimer's and Michelle Nijhuis for her series on climate change.
Researchers at New York University are developing molecular delivery vehicles to transport nucleic acids into cells. Their work aims to silence genes improperly produced through RNA interference, with potential applications in genetic therapies.
Dr. Andrew Z. Fire's article in November MCP explores the development of an assay to observe protein interactions in vivo, confirming previously documented interactions and discovering new ones in C. elegans. The study also identifies key associations between RNA interference and nonsense mediated decay pathways.
The latest issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols highlights over 50 new RNA interference methods for researchers to study gene functions in model organisms. These protocols provide detailed guidelines for handling embryonic stem cells, visualizing programmed cell death, and preparing cells for microscopic imaging.
Members of RNAi Global, including Dharmacon and leading research institutes, developed standardized protocols for genome-wide siRNA library experiments. The collaboration aims to accelerate disease and drug research by improving comparability of results between laboratories.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have made significant progress in developing RNAi gene therapy, a promising approach to treating organ-wide diseases. However, they also encountered unexpected side effects, including liver toxicity in mice, which hindered their progress. Despite this setback, the team was able to o...
Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia developed a novel lab technique to manipulate human T cells using RNA interference, overcoming previous limitations. The approach successfully silenced genes in 'slippery' immune cells, opening potential avenues for treating HIV and other diseases.
A new RNAi toolset enables researchers to systematically study thousands of genes, revealing previously unknown growth regulators and confirming the library's sensitivity. The toolset, developed by a public-private partnership, is now available to all genetic researchers.
Scientists found that RNAi machinery plays a role in maintaining telomere length by regulating retrotransposon transposition. Mutations in key components of the system increase telomere element transposition.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a gene therapy that turns off the alpha-synuclein protein, a key player in Parkinson's disease. The therapy uses RNA interference to selectively disable the gene, leaving other genes unaffected, and has shown promising results in rat models.
A new tool has been developed to silence genes in specific tissues using RNAi, allowing researchers to determine the function of a single gene in a single tissue without blocking its essential functions in other tissues. This technique could potentially be used in humans to knockdown mutant or overexpressed genes that cause human disea...
The WT1 gene is essential for male fertility and tumorigenesis. Research highlights its critical role in regulating cellular processes that lead to tumor formation and infertility.
Researchers have gained a detailed understanding of Dicer's molecular structure, which serves as a 'molecular ruler' for processing RNA fragments. This discovery has significant implications for gene-silencing processes and could lead to new treatments for diseases.
A novel class of 23-24-nt small RNAs has been identified in Tetrahymena, participating in a second distinct RNAi pathway. The discovery sheds light on the diversity of sRNA functions and biogenesis mechanisms, with potential applications for other systems.
Researchers have discovered a strain of the C. elegans nematode worm that can replicate animal viruses, allowing for a better understanding of how hosts control viral infections. The findings also reveal an antiviral response known as RNA silencing or RNA interference, which breaks down virus RNA.
Researchers at U Iowa successfully used RNA interference to prevent genetic deafness in mice, offering a potential new treatment for humans. The gene-silencing technique targets dominant negative mechanisms that cause deafness in humans.
A Harvard Medical School study reveals that phosphatases play a crucial role in regulating cell survival and chemoresistance. The researchers identified tumor suppressor phosphatases whose loss of function leads to chemoresistance, providing potential new targets for cancer treatment.
Researchers discovered that HIV-1 induces RNA interference in human cells but has a strategy to combat this defense. The protein Tat suppresses RNA silencing, helping the virus evade the cell's natural immune response.
Researchers identified genes required for stem cell function and regeneration in planarians, providing insights into human development and health. The study used RNA interference to analyze gene function in intact animals and on proliferation of adult stem cells.
Researchers used RNAi to silence STAT3 in mouse breast cancer cells, finding a 75% reduction in protein expression. This reduced the ability of cancer cells to invade normal tissues, offering new insights into cancer metastasis.
Researchers at U Iowa have made significant breakthroughs in treating Huntington's disease by reducing protein levels in genetically engineered mice. The study, published in PNAS, demonstrates the effectiveness of RNA interference in improving HD-like symptoms in a mouse model.
Researchers have identified key genetic pathways essential to RNA interference, a process that can silence specific genes. The findings suggest potential therapeutic applications for diseases such as cancer and age-related macular degeneration.
The NIEHS is developing a new RNAi library to better understand the effects of environmental toxins on human health. This technology will help researchers identify specific genes responsible for adverse responses to chemicals, ultimately aiding in the development of new disease prevention strategies.
A new study reveals that Argonaute2 is the key enzyme responsible for RNAi-mediated messenger RNA cleavage in mammals. The findings suggest that Argonaute2 provides the 'Slicer' activity necessary for siRNA-targeted mRNA cleavage.
Scientists used gene therapy to deliver RNA that silenced the disease-causing SCA1 gene in mice with spinocerebellar ataxia 1, preventing neurodegeneration. The approach also protected brain cells from destruction and prevented protein clump buildup.
A human genome-wide RNAi library has been developed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, enabling companies to identify and validate target genes for new drugs. The library targets over 10,000 human genes with sequence-validated short hairpin RNA molecules.
Researchers have created new RNA libraries that can selectively inactivate human genes, enabling efficient screening for genetic defects. The libraries, made widely available to the research community, will greatly aid in understanding human biology and disease.
Researchers develop high-throughput method to systematically interrogate gene function using RNA interference, identifying genes involved in cell growth, survival and metabolic processes
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a critical regulatory role of protein CTCF in controlling gene imprinting in eggs. The study found that lower levels of CTCF resulted in higher DNA methylation and reduced fertility in female mice.
Researchers Bass and Tonkin found that ADARs interact with the RNAi pathway to regulate behavioral defects in C. elegans worms, particularly in detecting food. By disabling both ADAR genes and RNAi pathways, they eliminated behavioral defects associated with ADAR mutations.
Researchers developed a systematic approach to inhibit 1,000 Drosophila genes and observed changes in cell morphology. By clustering genes by their effects, they assigned functions to 50 previously uncharacterized genes, shedding light on cellular processes.
Researchers have created a new RNAi vector called pDECAP that allows for tissue-specific suppression of gene expression in mammals. This breakthrough technology enables the efficient exploration of gene function by avoiding the antiviral response to foreign dsRNA, a major complication in mammalian RNAi research.
Scientists have successfully silenced mutant genes without affecting normal gene copies using RNA interference, a promising approach for treating diseases like Machado-Joseph disease, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's. This breakthrough technique has the potential to selectively turn off disease-causing genes, preserving essential normal g...
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory develop a new method to set the level of gene activity in stem cells using RNA interference, revealing distinct forms of lymphoma based on p53 levels. The study establishes RNAi as a convenient alternative to traditional gene knockout strategies.
Scientists have achieved germline transmission of 'gene knockdown' in mice by using genetic engineering to create mouse embryonic stem cells targeted with RNAi. This enables the manipulation of gene activity in specific tissues and allows for switching on and off at any time during development or adulthood.
Researchers at UCSF used a new technique to decouple hormone pathways controlling reproduction and longevity in worms, finding that daf-2 activity can be turned on or off independently. This allows for the potential extension of lifespan without suppressing reproduction, offering a promising avenue for human aging research.
Researchers found that FMRP associates with RNAi-related cellular machinery, suggesting a possible role for RNAi in regulating gene expression. This discovery may lead to an entirely new field of molecular human genetics, shedding light on the genetic causes of fragile X syndrome.
Scientists have discovered a new method to inhibit HIV replication using short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), a type of RNA interference technology. Researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of siRNAs in human cells, showing promise for novel HIV treatments.
Scientists have developed a new 'gene silencing' strategy using short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that can efficiently silence specific genes in mammalian cells. This technique has the potential to revolutionize gene function exploration and could lead to targeted therapies for cancer, AIDS, and other diseases.
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill have found a way to tap into the gene-silencing process RNA interference to identify key parts of its machinery. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new treatments for cancer and other serious illnesses.
Researchers at Genetica and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have developed a cost-effective method for determining the role of specific genes using RNAi. This approach enables stable silencing of gene expression in mammalian cells, allowing for rapid assessment of gene function, previously limited to plants and certain model organisms.
Researchers discovered that certain genes are involved in both RNA interference and nonsense-mediated decay, a protective mechanism that prevents defective protein production. The findings provide valuable clues to the relationship between these two cellular processes.