Naito Yuki, Ui-Tei Kumiko, Nishikawa Toru, Takebe Yutaka, Saigo Kaoru
Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2006 Jul 1;34(Web Server issue):W448-50. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkl214.
siVirus (http://siVirus.RNAi.jp/) is a web-based online software system that provides efficient short interfering RNA (siRNA) design for antiviral RNA interference (RNAi). siVirus searches for functional, off-target minimized siRNAs targeting highly conserved regions of divergent viral sequences. These siRNAs are expected to resist viral mutational escape, since their highly conserved targets likely contain structurally/functionally constrained elements. siVirus will be a useful tool for designing optimal siRNAs targeting highly divergent pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza virus and SARS coronavirus, all of which pose enormous threats to global human health.
