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December 10, 2003
RNAi and microRNA
1993 not only was the year that the Huntington's Disease gene was found but it was also the year that microRNA was found. It's now the key to what may lead to a cure for Huntington's Disesase - RNAi or RNA interference.
Newsweek calls this one of the top 10 health stories of the year and it has the potential of being the health story of the decade. Here's a clip from this very interesting article:
"...because microRNAs are so small and simple in structure, they can be manufactured for use as research tools. If scientists suspect that a particular gene is responsible for a disease, they can design microRNA to silence the gene in affected laboratory animals. If the disease is prevented or cured, the gene becomes a target for treatment.
RNA interference has yet to generate new medicines, but if the technique fulfills its promise, it could help us treat everything from viral infections to cancer.
...Even so, a field that was just a curiosity in 1993 is now poised to change the world—all because we invested in basic research. The scientists who discovered microRNAs were not trying to prevent AIDS, grow stem cells or treat cancer. They just wanted to figure out how something happened in a worm. "
Posted by Dave at December 10, 2003 05:52 PM
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