Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Make Your siRNAs Compete

Studying gene function using RNAi can be difficult unless you can identify your novel hits from your off-target effects. On his blog, Keith Robison suggests pooling siRNAs so their on-target effects are additive and the off-target ones are reduced. To minimize siRNAs from affecting one another, he also suggests having the siRNAs compete for a limited target. He also points his readers to a paper in Nucleic Acid Research in which the researchers find that Ago2 protein levels affect siRNA competition, as well as that RISC levels vary between cell lines.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.