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.
New work thoroughly characterizes the structural features of human SIDT1 and SIDT2, revealing their existence as dimers in vitro and their tendency to form dimers or higher-order oligomers in their natural environment.
There is still a large unmet medical need for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, despite recent improvements in the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of ulcerative colitis.
UT Southwestern researchers have developed nanoparticles that can penetrate the physical barriers that surround tumors and reach cancer cells.
Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, have the potential to cure tumors by targeting knocking down oncogenes that drive tumor development while avoiding the damage associated with chemotherapy.
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their accompanying protein, CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), several years ago, made international news as a game-changing genome editing system.
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%.
The genetic information of SARS-CoV-2 has been successfully destroyed by a research team led by the Technical University of Munich.
Nanoengineers from the University of California San Diego recently created a new and potentially efficient means to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) into cells.
Crop improvement often involves the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another to produce a valuable trait. Some major examples of crops with these so-called "transgenes" include disease-resistant cotton and beta-carotene-enhanced golden rice.
Ghent University’s concentrated on a technique for the safe engineering of therapeutic cells with photothermal nanofibers for the past decade.
A team of scientists disclosed the nucleolar RNA interference based on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism.
Fossils of ancient viruses are preserved in the genomes of all animals, including humans, and have long been regarded as junk DNA. But are they truly junk, or do they actually serve a useful purpose?
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers are exploring the use of peptide carriers for the delivery of small RNA drugs as a novel treatment for cancer. The team's recent work, published online March 19 in the Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids journal, lays the foundation for developing a clinically relevant peptide carrier RNAi-based drug treatment strategy for human oral cancer.
A potential class of therapeutics that uses synthetic nucleic acids to attack and shut down harmful genes while preventing viral spread is gathering momentum.
In the gene controlling mechanism, known as RNA interference, the expression of particular genes is downregulated by siRNAs or endogenic microRNAs.
Biologists have known for some time that RNA interference can silence genes in far-off cells. They suspected that a messenger substance “transmits” RNA interference.
A group of researchers has developed a new way to deliver molecules that target specific genes within cells.
In recent years, RNA molecules, with the ability to affect or turn off pathogenic genes, have become promising drug candidates in several areas.