Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Cell Cycle. 2010 Jun 15;9(12):2353-62. doi: 10.4161/cc.9.12.12049.
The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) has opened new avenues in biology and medicine. In addition to post-transcriptional gene silencing, new findings are expanding the range of action of small duplex RNAs and broadening the spectrum of the potential applications of RNAi-based therapeutics. In recent years a complex and heterogeneous network of non-protein coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with potential regulatory functions has come into the spotlight providing an unexpected perspective on the mechanisms of transcriptional and epigenetic control of gene expression in human cells. The spread and complexity of these RNA-based transcriptional regulatory networks are still to be explored. However, they are likely to be important mechanisms controlling gene expression in human cells. As we will learn more about these processes, endogenous small RNAs and ncRNAs participating in these transcriptional regulatory networks might become valuable targets to modulate expression of genes involved in human diseases. Thus, understanding these basic processes of gene regulation might be translated in the near future into innovative therapeutic strategies to treat human diseases.
RNA 干扰 (RNAi) 的发现为生物学和医学开辟了新的途径。除了转录后基因沉默外，新的发现正在扩大小双链 RNA 的作用范围，并拓宽基于 RNAi 的治疗方法的潜在应用范围。近年来，具有潜在调节功能的非蛋白编码 RNA（ncRNA）的复杂和异质网络成为焦点，为人类细胞中转录和表观遗传基因表达调控机制提供了意想不到的视角。这些基于 RNA 的转录调控网络的传播和复杂性仍有待探索。然而，它们很可能是控制人类细胞基因表达的重要机制。随着我们对这些过程的了解不断增加，参与这些转录调控网络的内源性小 RNA 和 ncRNA 可能成为调节人类疾病相关基因表达的有价值的靶点。因此，了解这些基因调控的基本过程可能在不久的将来转化为治疗人类疾病的创新治疗策略。
