Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids
09:04

Sequence-specific and Selective Recognition of Double-stranded RNAs over Single-stranded RNAs by Chemically Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids

Published on: September 21, 2017

Gene transfer and antisense nucleic acid techniques

N Miller1, R G Vile

  • 1Imperial Cancer Research Fund, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, UK WC2 3PX.

Parasitology Today (Personal Ed.)
|January 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Antisense and gene transfer therapies show promise for genetic diseases but face challenges in clinical application. This review explores their potential for treating parasitic diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Antisense and gene transfer therapies are gaining attention for treating genetic disorders and cancers.
  • Clinical trials are underway for conditions like leukemia, lung cancer, and immunodeficiency diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the rationale, challenges, and potential of gene suppression and transfer techniques.
  • To explore the application of these advanced therapies in combating parasitic diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current gene therapy and antisense technology applications.
  • Analysis of successes and limitations in preclinical and clinical studies.
  • Assessment of applicability to parasitic infections.

Main Results:

  • While promising in laboratory settings, translating these techniques into effective disease control is complex.
  • Significant hurdles exist in the practical implementation of gene-based therapies for complex diseases.

Conclusions:

  • Antisense and gene transfer hold potential for parasitic disease treatment.
  • Overcoming translational challenges is crucial for realizing the therapeutic benefits of these genetic approaches in parasitic infections.

More Related Videos

A Simple Alternative to Stereotactic Injection for Brain Specific Knockdown of miRNA06:53

A Simple Alternative to Stereotactic Injection for Brain Specific Knockdown of miRNA

Published on: December 26, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be inserted. The...
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be inserted. The...
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.