Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Broad-spectrum Chemical Inhibitors of RNA Viruses
Published on: May 5, 2014
Harnessing antiviral RNAi therapeutics for pandemic viruses: SARS-CoV-2 and HIV
Ellen Bowden-Reid1, Ernest Moles2,3,4,5, Anthony Kelleher1,6
1The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
Abstract:
Using the knowledge from decades of research into RNA-based therapies, the COVID-19 pandemic response saw the rapid design, testing and production of the first ever mRNA vaccines approved for human use in the clinic. This breakthrough has been a significant milestone for RNA therapeutics and vaccines, driving an exponential growth of research into the field. The development of novel RNA therapeutics targeting high-threat pathogens, that pose a substantial risk to global health, could transform the future of health delivery. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the two RNA interference (RNAi) pathways and how antiviral RNAi therapies can be used to treat acute or chronic diseases caused by the pandemic viruses SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, respectively. We also provide insights into short-interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery systems, with a focus on how lipid nanoparticles can be functionalized to achieve targeted delivery to specific sites of disease. This review will provide the current developments of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV targeted siRNAs, highlighting strategies to advance the progression of antiviral siRNA along the clinical development pathway.
Related Concept Videos
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Viruses with RNA Genomes
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...
Viral Mutations
RNA Interference
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...

