Using RNAi-based Technique, Scientists Find New Tumor Suppressor Genes In Lymphoma...

In one of my earlier blog about RNAi, I did mention about the award of USPTO notices to RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation. But these results are really interesting, the CSHL team’s discovery stems from their use of a powerful technology called RNA interference (RNAi), which suppresses gene activity. The scientists employed RNAi to screen hundreds of candidate tumor-suppressors in living mice, using small hairpin-shaped RNA (shRNA) molecules that attach to specific genes with exquisite specificity and switch them off. In the newly reported experiments, this process revealed more than 10 genes whose deactivation accelerates the development of deadly lymphomas tumors of the immune system in the mice.

The CSHL team’s high-throughput screening strategy to functionally identify cancer genes has thus not only provided insights into cancer development but has also pointed the way toward therapeutic refinements. The team is planning a broader RNAi-based screen that will expand into other tumor models. For details...