Commonly used by researchers to develop technologies for modifying and studying genetic process, RNA interference (RNAi) has many potential uses in medicine, biotechnology, and functional genomics. This book covers all essential aspects involved in the development of RNAi therapeutics, providing detailed guidance on the challenges and opportunities of bringing RNAi technologies from bench to clinic. It explores the design and mechanism of RNAi molecules, delivery strategies, and therapeutic applications in various diseases. Preclinical, regulatory, market, and intellectual aspects of RNAi technologies are also covered.

The enormous potential of siRNA as a therapeutic has led to an explosion of interest from the scientific community. There has been intense interest from Big Pharma to capitalise on this new technology but the fact remains that delivery is a key determinant in realizing the full clinical potential of RNA interference. There is an urgent need for better delivery methods to take this technology forward. This book addresses the role of different RNAi molecules in cellular processes as rational for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This book will cover RNAi therapeutic design to optimize siRNA potency and reduce off-target effects and current delivery technologies to overcome both intracellular and extracellular barriers. The reader will gain an insight into RNA interference from the cellular mechanisms to screening to siRNA design right through to diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

The phenomenon of RNA interference has rapidly moved from groundbreaking scientific discovery to promising therapeutic approach. However, even as RNAi-based drugs enter the clinic, significant challenges remain, particulary in the area of delivery. Therapeutic Applications of RNAi provides detailed protocols in key areas of current focus, including testing of delivery vehicles, identification of appropriate model systems, and evaluation of the effects of RNAi in vivo. Produced by a team of internationally renowned authors, the volume describes the therapeutic applications of RNAi and potential pitfalls in oncology, viral infections and CNS disease, using a variety of delivery methods, including liposomes, peptide-based nanoparticles, polycationic polymers, and viral vehicles. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, the chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Therapeutic Applications of RNAi is an ideal guide for scientists attempting to solve the numerous challenges in this field and revolutionize the treatment of disease.

Since the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) in 1998, research on the topic has advanced at an impressive pace. Small RNAs and, in particular, micro RNAs (miRNAs) play a fundamental role in gene regulation through the activation of RNAi. Detailed insights into the mechanisms of RNAi have led to an improved understanding of gene regulation in normal and disease states, and thereby enabled the exploitation of RNAi for a variety of applications. In this book, an international panel of RNAi experts critically reviews the most interesting advances in basic applied RNAi research, highlighting the applications in RNAi-based therapies and discussing the technical hurdles that remain. Topics covering the fundamental biological aspects of applied RNAi research include: the role of miRNAs in trinucleotide repeat disorders * miRNAs and HIV pathogenesis * miRNAs for epigenetic gene silencing * the role of miRNAs in virus-related cancers * non-canonical miRNA biogenesis. In the area of RNAi-based therapy, topics include: harnessing RNAi for the treatment of viral infections * optimizing the design of exogenous RNAi activators * blocking miRNA function with synthetic agents * somatic cell reprogramming * high-content miRNA-based screening tools * the use of miRNA target sites for control of transgene expression. The book will be essential reading for everyone involved in RNAi research, drug discovery and delivery, biomedical engineering, and biomaterials. Subject: Molecular Biology, Genomics, Life Science]

Extensively revised and updated, Antisense Drug Technology: Principles, Strategies, and Applications, Second Edition reflects the logarithmic progress made in the past four years of oligonucleotide-based therapies, and, in particular, antisense therapeutics and research. Interpreting lessons learned from the clinical trials of first generati

The new frontier of pharmaceutical sciences is gene therapy, which is the use of molecules able to interact directly with the expression of the genetic material of the patient as well as of the disease-causing guest (bacteria, virus, parasites, and tumor cells). Among the molecules of interest for gene therapy, a relevant role is played by small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules able to interfere with the expression of genes of interest for some diseases. However, siRNA molecules, even if they are powerful as drugs, are difficult to deliver since they are sensitive to enzymes present in plasma and they are large and negatively charged, so are difficult to administer into the cell nuclei, since the cell walls are scarcely permeable to large molecules and are also negatively charged. Therefore, the focus of research on siRNA-based therapies is their delivery, which can be performed by chemical modification, association with aptamers or polycations, or embedding them into properly designed liposomes. This book is centered on the more recent development in siRNA delivery techniques toward the clinical applications of this potent class of drugs.

This book provides a compelling overall update on current status of RNA interference