Small interfering RNA (siRNA), sometimes known as short interfering RNA or silencing RNA, is a class of double-stranded RNA molecules, 20-25 nucleotides in length, that play a variety of roles in biology. Most notably, siRNA is involved in the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, where it interferes with the expression of a specific gene. In addition to their role in the RNAi pathway, siRNAs also act in RNAi-related pathways, e.g., as an antiviral mechanism or in shaping the chromatin structure of a genome; the complexity of these pathways is only now being elucidated.
An experimental drug therapy protects mice from sudden death due to the rupture of a major blood vessel in the abdomen, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
A recent study reviewed the existing treatment modalities, including vaccines and antivirals, for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In a new study, the effectiveness of low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in reducing the risk of atherosclerotic vascular events was explored.
As they grow, solid tumors surround themselves with a thick, hard-to-penetrate wall of molecular defenses. Getting drugs past that barricade is notoriously difficult.
Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, hold promise to treat tumors, through their ability to specifically knock down oncogenes that promote tumor growth, without the toxicity that accompanies chemotherapy. However, the siRNAs need a delivery vehicle to protect them from degradation and clearance on their journey through the bloodstream to the cancer tumor.
In health care, perhaps no word sends a more chilling message than "cancer." Brain tumors, for example, prove especially resistant to current treatments. Only 5% of patients with that condition survive more than three years and the median survival time is 10 to 14 months.
The development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has only increased the impetus in this field.
Researchers investigated COVID-19-triggered changes in the levels of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases inside host cells.
A new study describes the antiviral activity of the approved drug probenecid against respiratory syncytial virus.
Researchers screened ribonucleic acid interference against SARS-CoV-2.
Researchers reviewed non-viral nano-vectors used for delivering the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated genome editing system.
While there are effective therapies to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, and other lipids, to date there are no approved treatments to lower lipoprotein(a), a lesser-known driver of heart disease risk.
Scientists develop a formulation for the pulmonary administration of siRNA. The aim was to suppress the replication of SARS-CoV-2.
Findings from a new Cleveland Clinic-led phase 1 trial show that an experimental "gene silencing" therapy reduced blood levels of lipoprotein(a), a key driver of heart disease risk, by up to 98%.
Researchers assessed the roles of the interferon regulatory factors: IRF1, IRF3, and IRF7 in infections by human coronaviruses.
A recent study demonstrated that RNA interference could prophylactically protect against SARS-CoV-2.
A new study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server has focussed on assessing four members of the NAK family that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. These kininases could act as a target for the development of effective COVID-19 therapeutics.
New research reports on the current and future perspectives on messenger ribonucleic acid technology, the platform on which the first successful COVID-19 vaccine was based.
In a new study, researchers used deep transcriptome analysis to examine the coding and non-coding transcriptional landscape of lung cells infected with SARS-CoV-2.
In a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers have been reviewing the use of siRNAs to target coronaviruses.