Applications and Progress of the Technology of RNA Interference in Human Diseases

• Main Authors: Chiu-Fan Chen, 陳秋帆
• Other Authors: Bing-Lan Liu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/12875877482716510968

碩士 === 朝陽科技大學 === 應用化學系碩士班 === 97 === RNA interference (RNAi) is first found in plants and scientists also found RNAi exits generally in most Eukaryotic cells. RNAi not only apply to disease therapy but also controls the growth and development as well as gene regulation. In this study, the applications and progress of RNAi technology in treating humans’ diseases were summarized. It can be divided into four parts : (A) the treatment of cancer through the inhibition of (1) cancer gene, (2) tumor suppressor gene, (3) anti-apoptosis factors, (4) overexpression of cell growth factor and its receptor, and (5) virus oncogene; (B) the treatment of the virus-infected diseases through the inhibition of (1) the attack of virus against cells, and (2) the expression of virus gene; (C) the treatment of autoimmune diseases through the inhibition of (1) the interferon activation, and (2) the blood vessel genes of the diseases; (D) the treatment of metabolic disorders by inhibiting the metabolic pathway-related genes, and overexpressive proteins of diseases. In these parts, RNAi technology is very therapeutic potential. RNAi technology has high efficiency, specificity to block the gene expression, and achieves the purpose of gene degradation (Gene knockdown). Many researchers are currently actively engaged in RNAi research, and learn the use of RNAi mechanism as much as possible. However, RNAi technology faces many problems, such as: how to design a high specificity of siRNA, the delivery of RNAi fragment, the stability of RNAi fragment, and the lack of clinical trials. If these problems are overcome, RNAi technology will provide a new direction for the treatment of disease in the future.