Small Interfering RNA (siRNA) News and Research

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University of Kentucky physician revolutionizes gene research

A dramatic new study published in the most recent issue of Nature questions some of the mechanisms underlying a new class of drugs based on Nobel Prize-winning work designed to fight diseases ranging from macular degeneration to diabetes.

28 Mar 2008

Researchers demonstrate safety of synthetic siRNAs

Researchers from MIT, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and other institutions have demonstrated the safety of a promising type of genetic therapy that could lead to treatments for a wide range of diseases such as cancer.

27 Sep 2007

Targeted quantum dot conjugates for siRNA delivery

Take a quantum dot, add a coating of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and attach a homing peptide and a piece of small interfering RNA (siRNA), and the result is a targeted nanoparticle that can stop the production of a specific protein by a targeted cell.

22 Aug 2007

Researchers breach blood-brain barrier to deliver therapy

A major obstacle in the treatment of infections and other diseases of the brain is the blood-brain barrier, which prevents systemically delivered therapeutic drugs from reaching the brain.

19 Jun 2007

Secrets of chromosome movement revealed

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have used the lowly yeast to gain insights into how a dividing human cell ensures that an identical set of chromosomes gets passed on to each new daughter cell.

17 Jun 2007

In vivo imaging of siRNA delivery and silencing in tumors

Using magnetic nanoparticles labeled with dye molecules, a team of investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital has developed a delivery vehicle capable of transporting antitumor small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules into cells.

14 Jun 2007

Targeted nanoparticles offer promising techniques for cancer treatment

Researchers in the laboratory of Mark E. Davis at the California Institute of Technology have been using small interfering RNA (siRNA), sometimes known as silencing RNA, to "silence" specific genes that are implicated in certain malignancies.

22 May 2007

Knocking out Mcl1 protein could aid leukemia treatment

An effective way to fight leukemia might be to knock out a specific protein that protects cancer cells from dying, a new study shows.

21 Apr 2007

siRNA delivery into human T cells and primary cells with carbon-nanotube transporters

Short pieces of RNA, known as small interfering RNA (siRNA), have the potential to become a new class of anticancer drugs if researchers can solve the problem of how to deliver these fragile molecules to cancer cells.

26 Feb 2007

Nanoparticles yield delivery tools for therapeutic nucleic acids

Cancer researchers hold great hope that nucleic acid-based therapeutics, such as anticancer genes, antisense oligonucleotides, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules, will prove to be powerful antitumor agents.

16 Jan 2007

BRIT1 gene plays a pivotal role in DNA damage detection and repair

A single gene plays a pivotal role launching two DNA damage detection and repair pathways in the human genome, suggesting that it functions as a previously unidentified tumor suppressor gene.

3 Aug 2006

Effective gene suppression using small interfering RNA in hard-to-transfect human T cells

A technical advance in laboratory techniques may provide biology researchers broader access to RNA interference, a process of blocking the activity of targeted genes. RNA interference has recently emerged as an important tool in studying how genes function in normal biological processes and in disease.

9 May 2006