Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods
07:49

Characterize Disease-related Mutants of RAF Family Kinases by Using a Set of Practical and Feasible Methods

Published on: July 17, 2019

Small interfering RNA targeting Raf-1 inhibits tumor growth in vitro and in vivo

Qixin Leng1, Archibald James Mixson

  • 1Department of Pathology, University of Maryland Baltimore, MSTF Building, 10 South Pine Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.

Cancer Gene Therapy
|April 2, 2005
PubMed

Insights

This study shows that Raf-1 siRNA effectively reduces Raf-1 mRNA and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. This RNA interference approach offers a promising new strategy for cancer therapy by targeting tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • RNA Interference Technology

Background:

  • Raf-1 kinase is crucial for tumor cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis.
  • Upregulated Raf-1 activity is linked to various cancer progression mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of Raf-1 siRNA using RNA interference technology.
  • To evaluate the potential of Raf-1 siRNA as a therapeutic strategy against tumor growth.

Main Methods:

  • In vitro experiments using Raf-1 siRNA in MDA-MB-435 cells to assess mRNA reduction.
  • In vitro assessment of Raf-1 siRNA's effect on cell number and apoptosis across multiple cell lines (HUVEC, MDA-MB-435, C6).
  • In vivo evaluation of Raf-1 siRNA complexed with histidine-lysine polymers in MDA-MB-435 xenografts.

Main Results:

  • Raf-1 siRNA reduced Raf-1 mRNA by approximately 75% in MDA-MB-435 cells.
  • Raf-1 siRNA induced apoptosis and reduced cell number in tested cell lines.
  • Intratumoral injection of Raf-1 siRNA significantly inhibited MDA-MB-435 xenograft tumor growth by nearly 60% compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • Raf-1 siRNA demonstrates significant efficacy in reducing tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo.
  • The developed RNA interference strategy targeting Raf-1 mRNA shows potential as an effective cancer treatment.
  • Further research into Raf-1 siRNA as a therapeutic agent for reducing tumor growth is warranted.

More Related Videos

Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)-Based Assay for Measuring Interactions of CRAF with 14-3-3 Proteins in Live Cells06:44

Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)-Based Assay for Measuring Interactions of CRAF with 14-3-3 Proteins in Live Cells

Published on: March 1, 2024

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice07:02

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice

Published on: August 23, 2019

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...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or 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...
The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho01:24

Small GTPases - Ras and Rho

Ras and Rho are small monomeric GTPases that act downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and regulate various cellular processes. These GTPases switch between active and inactive states by binding to guanine nucleotides.
Three regulatory proteins control their activity: