Paging Mike! (re RNAi)

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:24 pm

Mike,

I enjoyed your "ponderings" in the thread about GI bugs. I am wondering if you (and others here) are aware of the powerful new technology known as RNA interference, or RNAi. Two scientists (Fire and Mello) just won this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for their work with RNAi.

A little background biology here........Every cell in the body has the exact same set of genes. The reason that one gene located in a stomach cell might produce acid and another gene located in an eye cell might react to light is because of the variability of genes when they are "turned on" or activated. Every active gene makes a protein.

In the past decade, scientists discovered that cells make very short strands of RNA (called microRNAs) which can stop the ability of a particular gene to make a particular protein, thus effectively "silencing" the gene. This is called "RNA Interference" or RNAi and it has revolutionized biological research. If you wanted to know the exact gene that caused a stomach cell to produce acid, you could add microRNA to silence one gene after another to then see when the cell stopped making acid. All over the world, scientists are doing this very research.

Since many diseases (like ours) are thought to be caused by wayward genes, it seems there is great potential for treatment by turning off the appropriate proteins. In our case, it might be the proteins that cause us to react to our good gut bacteria, gluten, other foods, etc.

The biggest research problem is getting the microRNA into the cells deep inside the body, where the genes are misbehaving. But progress is being made. In animal studies, microRNAs have stifled several viral diseases, some cancers, and autoimmune hepatitis. There are some human studies, too, that are exciting - like treating macular degeneration with microRNAs.

The use of this technology in diagnosis and treatment is still years away, but I find it encouraging that it is a major focus of research at the present time. Something else for you to "chew on" when you are in your pondering mood. LOL!

Love,

Polly

mle_ii · Post by **mle_ii** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:09 pm

Very interesting indeed Polly. Didn't realize we could do this. So where do I sign up for my RNAi software developers kit? ;) Ok, that's a nerd computer nerd joke, a bad one at that. LOL

Though this sort of tinkering is bound to bring up some rather interesting ethical questions down the road. Don't like your blue eyes, well just take our pill and presto green eyes, or for the daring you can pick from one of our many other colors. My imagination isn't being very kind in some of the other tinkerings I can think of. :( Hopefully we use stuff like this for good.

Mike

m · Post by m » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:42 pm

Facinating Polly. Here's the thing I still don't grasp about gene therapy (am I correct in saying this is a kind of gene therapy?), how does the carrier or transport means carry to ONLY those cells?
Yours truly,
Dorky Science Person m

barbaranoela · Post by **barbaranoela** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:41 am

M------dont feel dorky---cus I,like U, dont understand this scientific banter either

I read and re-read to grasp as much as I can---but I dare not comment

luve to U-
Dorky person #2
Barbara

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:32 am

Melissa,

I don't know the answer to your question for sure. I would guess that the transport method might vary for each different kind of cell. For example, a virus that infects a certain cell might be altered genetically and then sent into the cell to infect it and "silence" the abnormal protein it is making. Just a WAG.

Mike,

Ethical concerns always lag behind science, don't they? How about the predicted future for the brain? I have read that there may be implants that can be inserted in specific areas of the brain (for example, memory area) that would continuously stimulate that area and result in a savant type of memory. And that there may be pills that we could take to enhance certain areas. For example, if you were going out to a fancy new restaurant, you might take a pill that would enhance the "gustatory" area of the brain to greatly enhance your tasting experience, or if going to a concert, a pill that would enhance the music appreciation area. And how about SEX - now wouldn't that be something?

Of course, there would be a huge risk that people would use these enhancements for evil purposes. But I'll bet the the technology is there long before the ethical concerns are addressed.

Barb,

I'll bet you DO have a idea about what RNAi does. Now, maybe you wouldn't want to take a written test (HAHAHAHA), but you always seem to grasp the science, IMHO. And you know what? It's simple questions from the non-scientists that often pave the way for the discoveries. In fact, this incredible RNAi discovery came about because some people were working with different colors of petunias and couldn't figure out why they were not getting the expected results when they crossed them. (It was because the RNAi was "silencing" the genes for certain color production). And this discovery has now revolutionized the way we will eventually treat people with medical conditions.

Love,

Polly