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RNA Interference—A Silent but an Efficient Therapeutic Tool

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Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionary conserved gene regulation pathway that has emerged as an important discovery in the field of molecular biology. One of the important advantages of RNAi in therapy is that it brings about efficient downregulation of gene expression by targeting complementary transcripts in comparison with other antisense-based techniques. RNAi can be can be achieved by introducing chemically synthesized small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) into a cell system. A more stable knockdown effect can be brought about by the use of plasmid or viral vectors encoding the siRNA. RNAi has been used in reverse genetics to understand the function of specific genes and also as a therapeutic tool in treating human diseases. This review provides a brief insight into the therapeutic applications of RNAi against debilitating diseases.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, India for financial assistance.

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  1. Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai, 600034, Tamilnadu, India

    Puthucode Venkatakrishnan Ramachandran & Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu

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Ramachandran, P.V., Ignacimuthu, S. RNA Interference—A Silent but an Efficient Therapeutic Tool. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 169, 1774–1789 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0098-1

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