One-third of human genome regulated by RNA: study
January 19, 2005 | Source: KurzweilAI
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and MIT researchers have discovered that small RNA molecules called microRNAs regulate thousands of human genes– more than one third of the genome’s protein-coding regions.
These findings contribute to the recent interest in potential therapeutic uses of RNA. For example, using a technique known as RNA interference, or RNAi, researchers are shutting off genes by delivering artificial microRNA-like molecules (siRNAs) into cells. RNAi has already transformed how labs are investigating gene functions, and siRNAs are being developed for clinical applications. Learning more about how microRNAs operate in human cells should help scientists understand how best to exploit siRNAs for treating disease.