Gene silencing or RNA interference

[HAL9000]

1990
Rich Jorgensen at the University of Arizona wanted to make petunias a deeper purple. His group tried expressing extra copies of the same gene and ... he got white flowers. The very gene he wanted to overexpress got turned off. This effect was named "cosuppression".

Investigation by scientists found that RNA can be used to silence genes and it was given the name RNA interference or RNAi.

Nearly 30 years on from the petunia experiment, NHS has started using a drug to silence a gene.

'Amazing' gene-silencing drugs reach NHS

A new form of medicine called "gene-silencing" has been approved for use by the NHS in England.

The drugs will be used to reverse a disease called amyloidosis, which causes nerve and organ damage. It can be fatal.

Hand surgeon Carlos Heras-Palou said his career "would have been finished" in six months without the treatment

There's a radio 4 program about RNA interference

BBC Radio 4 - The Silence of the Genes

 

[farmerbarleymow]

That's great news.

Hopefully they'll develop similar treatments for other genetic rare diseases - they're awful conditions.

 

[Pickman's model]

Are you for this or against it HAL9000?

 

[Supine]

Science is amazing