Advances in gene silencing - RNAi's

[Guest guest]

Advances in gene silencing on the agenda

Medical Science News 8-Sep-2004

Recent advances in using 'RNA interference' (RNAi) to improve plant,

animal and human health will be the major focus of the CSIRO-hosted

Horizons in Livestock Sciences Conference on the Gold Coast from 12-15

September. In line with the conference's theme: 'Gene silencing and

therapeutic innovations', 26 Australian and international experts will

present addresses highlighting RNAi's potential benefits.

CSIRO Livestock Industries' Chief, Shaun Coffey, says that while RNAi

has been evolving in plants and animals over millions of years,

scientists only discovered the process and its benefits in the 1990s.

" The major benefit of RNAi is that it allows gene-specific silencing -

that is, researchers can 'switch off' targeted genes in animals and

plants. "

" All facets of RNAi will be explored during the conference, ranging from

functional genomic studies and 'target validation', through to novel

therapeutics and delivery strategies.

" The conference presents researchers from Australia and overseas with

the opportunity to discuss recent breakthroughs in the RNAi field and

determine what needs to be achieved in the longer-term, " Mr Coffey says.

Conference chairman, CSIRO Livestock Industries' Dr Tim Doran says that

RNAi can help researchers to find out what specific genes do, produce

new pharmaceuticals and develop disease-resistant plants and animals.

Dr Doran says that by using RNAi to knock out genes across a genome,

researchers are able to identify or 'validate' new targets (proteins)

for existing drugs.

" This approach has been used by CSIRO Livestock Industries'

parasitologists in an effort to control internal and external parasites

of cattle and sheep, " he says.

Researchers at CSIRO Plant Industry are using RNAi to modify the oil

composition in cotton seed and produce other novel traits.

A leading conference speaker, CSIRO Plant Industry's Dr

Waterhouse, was a member of the research team which, in 1995, first

demonstrated gene silencing in plants by intentionally using

double-stranded RNA.

Waterhouse and his colleague, Dr Helliwell, will speak on the

mechanisms and applications of RNAi in plant genomics.

International speakers include a Post-doctoral Fellow at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Cancer Research, Dr

Carl Novina. Dr Novina is investigating the mechanisms and applications

of short RNA function in mammals, including harnessing the potential of

RNAi in treating and controlling virus infection and cancer in the

laboratory of Nobel laureate, Dr Sharp. On October 1, Dr Novina

will take up the position of Assistant Professor at the Dana Farber

Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School.

Also speaking is the Chair of the Division of Molecular Biology at the

Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Los Angeles - and Dean

of the Institute's Graduate School of Biological Sciences - Dr

Rossi. Dr Rossi is regarded as a world leader in the development of

therapeutic applications of RNAi and in HIV/AIDS clinical research. He

is a scientific advisor to Benitec Australia Ltd. Benitec's Director of

Research, Dr Ken , will also speak at the conference.

Researchers are also tapping the potential of important molecules in the

gene silencing pathway - micro-RNAs (miRNAs) - which control gene

expression during significant biological processes.

" miRNAs have been implicated in some cancers and are involved in viral

disease, " Dr Doran says.

CSIRO Livestock Industries' Dr Dalrymple is working with the

Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of the Institute for

Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, Professor

Mattick, to identify and determine the function of non-coding RNAs,

including miRNAs. Both Dr Dalrymple and Professor Mattick will speak at

the conference. Professor Mattick will give the opening conference

address entitled " The genomic programming of animal growth and

development. "

RNAi is a key component of CSIRO's biotechnology strategy, with the

organisation holding an extensive and growing intellectual property

portfolio in the area. CSIRO is developing products for, and with, the

plant, livestock, aquaculture, animal biotechnology and

biopharmaceutical industries.

http://www.csiro.com.au