Advances with RNA interference in Alzheimer’s disease research

dvances with RNA interference in Alzheimer’s disease research Review (1450) Total Article Views Authors: Chen S, Ge X, Chen Y, Lv N, Liu Z, Yuan W Published Date February 2013 Volume 2013:7 Pages 117 - 125 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S40229 Received: 12 November 2012 Accepted: 11 December 2012 Published: 22 February 2013 Shun Chen,1,2,* Xuemei Ge,2,* Yinghui Chen,3,* Nan Lv,2 Zhenguo Liu,1 Weien Yuan2 1Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 2School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 3Department of Neurology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by memory and cognitive dysfunction. Unfortunately, there is no effective therapeutic method for AD treatment or ways to halt disease progression. Many mechanisms are involved in the disease, including genes mutation and protein dysfunction. RNA interference (RNAi) technology may potentially be able to control AD. It can inhibit the protein expression of specific genes by activating a sequence-specific RNA degradation process. This is a powerful tool with which to study gene function, investigate the mechanism of the disease, and validate drug targets. In this review, we highlight the advances in RNAi technology in the investigation and treatment of AD.