What is RNAi? RNA interference (RNAi) is a revolutionary breakthrough in science set at the beginning of the millennium. Many saw the potential in it and heavily invested in research to discover more. The RNAi blog is there to enlighten you further about its history and applications.
The approval of the first RNAi drug happened in 2018. It was to treat a rare condition referred to as hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis. The primary cause of the condition is protein build-up.
What is RNAi?
RNA means ribonucleic acid. You can find nucleic acid in all living cells. RNA interference refers to the innovative approach that silences any gene in the disease pathway.
RNA comes in two varieties;
- Small interfering RNAi (siRNA)
- MicroRNA (miRNA)
How does RNAi work?
Both siRNA and miRNA work the same way. The small RNA molecules work in unity for protein complexes activation. Once bound, their target then becomes mRNAs (messenger RNAs). They work to inhibit ribosomes from synthesizing associated protein. The result is the prevention of the production of protein-encoding by mRNA.
How does RNAi therapy work?
Experts in molecular biology foresee great opportunities with RNAi. There is a strong relationship between the sequence requirement for functional miRNA and siRNA and the target mRNA. It allows scientists to do the synthesis of interfering RNAs as required. The RNAs are more straightforward in the prevention of protein synthesis than in changing the genetic code.
Medical experts use RNAi drugs to treat infectious diseases, cardiovascular, cancer, chronic, neurological, and urological disorders. They administer RNAi-based medicine in a topical delivery method and an injection that involves nucleic acid, nanoparticle, pulmonary, and aptamer drug technologies. Scientists also use the technologies to analyze gene functions and improve treatments for gene silencing.
Benefits of RNAi therapeutics
RNAi designs target medicines for any gene regardless of its functions. Therefore, it makes it possible to find solutions for challenging situations and helps lower the side effects impact.
RNAi therapeutics provides a powerful approach for the rapid identification of particular disease targets. When you compare to the traditional methods, RNAi is the fastest way of inventing new ways for disease treatment.
RNAi is essential in the immune response to viruses and any other foreign genetic material. It is also effective in the downregulation of genes.
RNAi applications
- Gene knockdown
- Functional genomics
- Medicine
- Therapeutic applications. It is effective in the treatment of viral infection, cancer, neurological diseases, among others.
What are the opportunities for RNAi therapeutics?
There is an increase in RNAi drug delivery globally by 7% (CAGR). RNA interference continues to generate growth because of the increasing need to minimize genetic disorders and chronic medical diseases.
With the current increase in demand for RNAi drug delivery technology, the delivery methods continue to gain traction in administering antiviral drugs. The induction of the drugs is through small interfering RNA that prevents viral antigens expression.
The remarkable technological advancements like the development of bio-vectors and innovative synthetic delivery carriers will increase RNAi demand.
Key takeaway
The term RNA means ribonucleic acid. You can find it in any living cell. RNAi is an approach that targets and silences genes in the disease pathway. It presents itself in two varieties; microRNA (miRNA) and the small interfering RNA (siRNA).
RNAi drug treats many conditions such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular, urological, oncological, and neurological disorders. The medicine presents itself in a tropical delivery method or injection.
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