Huang Hsin-Ying, Chiang Bor-Luen
National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Immunology, College of Medicine, 1 Jen-Ai Road, Section 1, Taipei, 100, Taiwan.
Curr Opin Mol Ther. 2009 Dec;11(6):652-63.
RNAi is the process of sequence-specific, post-transcriptional/transcriptional gene silencing through siRNA. RNAi is a popular method of controlling gene expression and has potential in the development of drugs for several diseases, such as various types of cancer and viral infections. Gene therapy for asthma has already been developed and has demonstrated promising results in animal models. Recent progress in delivering siRNA to the respiratory system has also improved the therapeutic feasibility of RNAi for asthma. In this review, the mechanism, as well as the general strategies and problems associated with the application of RNAi in vivo, are discussed, focusing on the possibility of applying RNAi to alleviate airway inflammation in allergic asthma. Data from studies with siRNA against molecules involved in allergic responses are summarized, and the potential and limitations of RNAi as a novel therapeutic approach are discussed.
RNA干扰是通过小干扰RNA实现序列特异性的转录后/转录水平基因沉默的过程。RNA干扰是一种常用的控制基因表达的方法，在多种疾病（如各类癌症和病毒感染）的药物研发中具有潜力。哮喘的基因治疗已经得到发展，并在动物模型中显示出了有前景的结果。近期在将小干扰RNA递送至呼吸系统方面取得的进展，也提高了RNA干扰治疗哮喘的可行性。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了RNA干扰在体内应用的机制、一般策略和相关问题，重点关注应用RNA干扰减轻过敏性哮喘气道炎症的可能性。总结了针对参与过敏反应的分子进行小干扰RNA研究的数据，并讨论了RNA干扰作为一种新型治疗方法的潜力和局限性。
