siRNAs
Chemically synthesized short interfering RNA (siRNA) has become the standard tool for specific silencing of gene expression in vitro.
The most difficult task in transferring this technology to an in vivo setting is to develop appropriate delivery strategies.
The development of antibody-protamine fusion proteins as vehicles for receptor-directed delivery of siRNA have been recently reported.
When a mixture of siRNA targeting tumor-related genes was administered in this way, tumor growth was inhibited in an engineered melanoma model, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of this technology.
References
Vornlocher HP. Antibody-directed cell-type-specific delivery of siRNA. Trends Mol Med. 2005 Nov 10; PMID: 16290229
Fuchs U, Damm-Welk C, Borkhardt A. Silencing of disease-related genes by small interfering RNAs. Curr Mol Med. 2004 Aug;4(5):507-17. PMID: 15267222
Hall J. Unravelling the general properties of siRNAs: strength in numbers and lessons from the past.
Nat Rev Genet. 2004 Jul;5(7):552-7. PMID: 15211357
Nakahara K, Carthew RW. Expanding roles for miRNAs and siRNAs in cell regulation. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2004 Apr;16(2):127-33. PMID: 15196554