Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Genome-Wide CRISPR Screen for Unveiling Radiosensitive and Radioresistant Genes
Published on: May 23, 2025
siRNA as a route to new cancer therapies
Maya Ameyar-Zazoua1, Valentina Guasconi, Slimane Ait-Si-Ali
1André Lwoff Institute, CNRS UPR 9079, 7 rue Guy Moquet, 94800 Villejuif, France.
Abstract:
The RNA interference (RNAi) gene-silencing mechanism is induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and is highly sequence-specific. It is an extremely powerful tool for silencing gene expression in vitro, and might be used as therapy in human pathologies such as cancer, viral infections and genetic disorders. RNAi was initially discovered in plants, but it has become clear that it is also conserved in animal species. Triggering of RNAi by the introduction of small dsRNA (or small interfering RNA) into living cells as a tool to inhibit the expression of specific genes holds the promise to selectively extinguish the expression of disease-associated genes in humans. On the other hand, RNAi technology will serve to elucidate the functions and interactions of the thousands of human genes in high-throughput systems and help in target validation technology.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...

