Researchers linkurl:report;http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/319/5863/627 that they have overcome one of the major roadblocks to using small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutically - they have developed a new method to linkurl:deliver siRNA;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/53307/ to silence genes in specific cells in vivo, according to this week's Science. "I'm really actually quite excited about the paper," said linkurl:John Rossi,;http://www.coh.org/Researchers/RossiJohn/RossiJohnResearch.htm who works on siRNA therapeutics and gene therapy at City of Hope in Duarte, California, and who was not involved in the research. "I really think this is a big breakthrough." In the same issue of the journal, two other groups of researchers linkurl:announce;http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/319/5863/617 that they have linkurl:developed;http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/319/5863/620 a technique using RNA interference to identify a new type of target for cancer therapeutics. Researchers have lauded the promise of siRNA as a tool for studying gene function as well as a potential therapeutic technique, but difficulties with delivering siRNA molecules into cells has dogged the field. linkurl:Motomu...
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