Gene Silencing News and Research

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New assay detects epigenetic changes caused by carcinogenic chemicals

Chemicals used as food preservatives, flavoring agents, dyes, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaners, and other industrial materials are being increasingly recognized as a health hazard.

10 Apr 2025

Exosome-mediated siRNA delivery targets antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a major threat to human health. Manipulation of bacterial genes at the transcriptional level is a potential strategy to fight antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections by silencing their resistance genes.

7 Mar 2025

One shot to lower cholesterol for life? Scientists unlock a groundbreaking gene therapy

Researchers developed an epigenetic editing approach to silence the PCSK9 gene, achieving long-term cholesterol reduction without altering DNA, offering a potential one-time treatment for high cholesterol.

11 Feb 2025

NUS researchers develop DNA barcoded nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a novel method to enhance the precision of cancer treatment using gold nanoparticles tagged with DNA barcodes.

24 Jan 2025

New discovery sheds light on how bacteria use plasmids to build resistance

An international collaboration has achieved an important breakthrough in understanding the genetic mechanisms that allow bacteria to build resistance to drugs.

23 Jan 2025

Gut bacterium associated with reduced dietary sugar intake

This study links Ffar4, gut microbiota, and sugar preference, highlighting potential strategies for managing diabetes and obesity through dietary interventions.

13 Jan 2025

Potential new mRNA-based therapy for pre-eclampsia

Lipid nanoparticles targeting VEGF mRNA show promise in treating pre-eclampsia, restoring maternal blood pressure and enhancing fetal health in murine models.

13 Dec 2024

Study reveals protein mobility defect as a key factor in chronic diseases

Chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and inflammatory disorders have a huge impact on humanity. They are a leading cause of disease burden and deaths around the globe, are physically and economically taxing, and the number of people with such diseases is growing.

27 Nov 2024

Transposons play essential role in early human development

A critical transition in early human development is regulated not by our own genes, but by DNA elements called transposons that can move around the genome, Sinai Health researchers have found.

16 Oct 2024

Discovery of 5-formylcytosine as an activating epigenetic switch

The team of Professor Christof Niehrs at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, Germany, has discovered that a DNA modification called 5-formylcytosine (5fC) functions as an activating epigenetic switch that kick-starts genes in early embryonic development.

18 Sep 2024

Significant global cardiovascular risk linked to high lipoprotein(a) levels

Review in The Lancet finds that one in five globally are at risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases, because they carry a genetic risk of high levels of a specific lipoprotein, which can be tested for and possibly treated.

12 Sep 2024

Redefining 5hmC: More than just a stepping stone in the DNA demethylation pathway

An important DNA modification is methylation, or the addition of a methyl group to the 5th carbon of cytosine. This forms 5-methylcytosine (5mC), typically associated with repression of gene expression.

From biomodal 30 Aug 2024

Exploring gene silencing mechanisms for improved RNAi therapeutics

RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics have garnered significant attention in clinical research due to their potential for treating various diseases, including genetic disorders, viral infections and cancer.

20 Aug 2024

EZH2's role in cancer progression and therapy explored

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a catalytic subunit of the Polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which plays a crucial role in transcriptional repression through the methylation of histone H3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3).

9 Aug 2024

RNA-based therapy shows promise in reducing cholesterol and triglycerides

A small interfering RNA (siRNA) investigational therapy that inhibits a gene involved in lipoprotein metabolism has been shown in a clinical trial led by Mount Sinai researchers to significantly reduce levels of different types of cholesterol and triglycerides in individuals with mixed hyperlipidemia, a condition in which fats build up in the blood.

29 May 2024

New chemical modification improves effectiveness and safety of ASO therapy for CNS diseases

Diseases that affect the brain and spinal cord can be particularly devastating, and finding new and more effective ways to treat these conditions is an important goal for researchers and clinicians alike.

23 May 2024

Nanoparticle therapy offers hope for aortic aneurysm treatment

Aortic aneurysms are bulges in the aorta, the largest blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

4 Mar 2024

Breakthrough gene silencing method slashes cholesterol for a year in mice, no DNA damage

Researchers developed an engineered transcriptional repressor that durably silences the Pcsk9 gene in mice, reducing cholesterol levels for up to a year with a single treatment, showcasing a potential breakthrough in genetic disorder treatments without the risks of DNA mutation.

29 Feb 2024

Universal, essential biomarker identified for childhood neuroblastoma

Researchers have newly identified a universal, essential biomarker for the childhood cancer neuroblastoma – and a potential new target for treatment.

27 Feb 2024

New USC study reveals how DNA loops silence gene activity

The blueprint for human life lies within the DNA in the nucleus of each of our cells. In human cells, around six and a half feet of this genetic material must be condensed to fit inside the nucleus. DNA condensation is not random.

16 Jan 2024