Hématologie
MENUGene silencing by RNA interference Volume 10, issue 1, Janvier-Février 2004
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- Key words: RNA interference (RNAi), gene silencing, small Interfering RNA, dicer, RNA Induced Silencing Complex
- Page(s) : 68-79
- Published in: 2004
RNA interference is a highly conserved mechanism which involves the sequence specific repression of gene expression provoked by double‐stranded RNA. Gene extinction can be performed in mammals by introducing small double‐stranded RNAs of 19‐21 nucleotides (siRNAs) into the cells without activating an antiviral interferon response. The discovery of this natural mechanism has revolutionized genetics by providing researchers a powerful tool to understand gene function. This new technology‘s high degree of sequence‐specificity opens the possibility of applying it to multiple medical problems. The recent development of vectors which allow the intracellular expression of siRNAs makes this technique a potential therapeutic tool to treat pathologies caused by dominant alleles carrying alterations, for example cancer or neurodegenerative diseases, or to fight viral infections.