Generation of hairpin-based RNAi vectors for biological and therapeutic application

RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural process of gene silencing mediated by small RNAs. Shortly after the discovery of the RNAi mechanism, scientists devised various methods of delivering small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) capable of co-opting the endogenous RNAi machinery and suppressing target gene expression based on sequence complementarity. RNAi has since become a powerful tool to study gene function and is being investigated as a potential therapeutic approach to treat a vast array of human diseases (e.g., cancer, viral infections, and dominant genetic disorders). Among the available RNAi vectors are hairpin-based expression platforms (short-hairpin RNAs and artificial microRNAs) designed to mimic endogenously expressed inhibitory RNAs. These RNAi vectors are capable of achieving long-term potent gene silencing in vitro and in vivo. Here, we describe methods to design and generate these hairpin-based vectors and briefly review considerations for downstream applications.