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Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 2007 January; 28 (1): 1-10; doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7254.2007.00491.x |
| Review | [ Full text ] |
| Exploring in vitro roles of siRNA in cardiovascular disease |
Yu TANG2,3, Yu-zhi GE3, James Q YIN2,4 2Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; 3United Cardiovascular Department, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, Nanchang 330046, China |
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RNA interference (RNAi) is an adaptive defense mechanism through which double-stranded RNAs silence cognate genes in a sequence-specific manner. It has been employed widely as a powerful tool in functional genomics studies, target validation and therapeutic product development. Similarly, the application of small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to the silencing of the disease-causing genes involved in cardiovascular diseases has made great progress. In this overview, we attempt to provide a brief outline of the current understanding of the mechanism of RNAi and its potential application to the cardiovascular system, with particular emphasis on its ability to identify the pathophysiological function of genes related to several important cardiovascular disorders. The prospects of RNAi-based therapeutics, as well as the advantages and potential problems, are also discussed. |
Keywords: siRNA; RNAi; gene silencing; cardiovascular disease; gene therapy |
| 1 Project partly supported by the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the High-Tech Project Founda-tion (863 project) (No 2002BA711A01-22). |
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