NU 2005-063, NU 2005-064, and NU 2006-182
Inventors
Richard Carthew* Dinari Harris Young Sik Lee
Short Description
Novel strategy to improve gene silencing by RNAi for development of therapeutics
Abstract
RNAi has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for disorders characterized by aberrant gene overexpression (cancer, macular degeneration etc.) as well as for controlling viral infections. However, the main roadblock for using RNAi technology as a therapeutic is that several human proteins normally inhibit this process, lowering the efficiency of gene silencing. Northwestern researchers have devised a method for identification of these proteins and have identified several endogenous RNAi inhibitory proteins. Prof. Carthew and colleagues are conducting experiments to strategically inhibit these proteins in order to enhance RNAi efficiency. By identifying and disabling RNAi inhibiting host proteins, RNAi could evolve into an effective treatment for various diseases. The search for RNAi inhibitory proteins has also been undertaken in animal cells, suggesting that this approach could enable improvements in production of genetically modified organisms for research purposes.
Applications
Advantages
Publications
Lee YS, Pressman S, Andress AP, Kim K, White JL, Cassidy JJ, Li X, Lubell K, Lim do H, Cho IS, Nakahara K, Peall JB, Bellare P, Sontheimer EJ, Carthew RW (2009) Silencing by Small RNAs is Linked to Endosomal Trafficking, Nature Cell Biology. 11: 1150-1156.
IP Status
US patents 8,318,688 and 8,735,371 have been issued. International patent application has been filed.