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Gene silencing by RNA interference Volume 10, issue 1, Janvier-Février 2004

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Authors
CNRS UPR 9079, Institut André Lwoff, 7 rue Guy Môquet, 94800 Villejuif

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.