SCI/TECH: Technique for turning off danger genes may be used to cut cholesterol, page 1

In what has been described as the breakthrough of decade, scientists have successfully created a technique for "turning off" harmful genes to dramatically reduce cholesterol levels. Genes, the make up of DNA, decide the entire workings of our body. These genes are turned on and off as per pre-coded instructions, but mutations can cause a gene to turn on when not required creating harmful diseases, which now can be controlled using the revolutionary technique.

news.independent.co.uk
Science had not previously demonstrated a safe, reliable way of using it on patients, but now researchers led by Hans-Peter Vornlocher, head of research at the pharmaceuticals company Alnylam Europe, have devised a simple method of delivering RNAi to all the cells of the body via an intravenous injection. In experiments on mice they injected short lengths of RNA - a molecule similar to DNA - that had been designed to switch off or "silence" the gene responsible for producing apoliprotein B, a protein involved in the synthesis of the damaging form of cholesterol.

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As noted, this technique is much simpler than the previous ones and has much more success than the others. This "turning off" technique can also be used to suppress other genes related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, hepatitis, cancer and many infectious diseases.

This technique still hasn't been tested in humans. If successful, this would be more revolutionary than the medical revolution of the early 1900s, and also more devastating, adding more strain to the already strained population of Earth.

[edit on 11-11-2004 by Banshee]