Quantum dot based siRNA approach selectively inhibits brain cancer cells

Oncogenes are genes that are associated with the development of cancer - when mutated or expressed at high levels, they can help turn a normal cell into a tumor cell. Promising new chemotherapeutic strategies have therefore focused on suppressing oncogenes. One such approach is based on RNA interference (RNAi), a technique wherein small double-stranded RNA molecules can sequence-specifically inhibit the expression of targeted oncogenes. The idea here is that with the help of small interfering RNA (siRNA), key oncogenes that modulate signaling pathways and thereby regulate the behavior of malignant tumor cells can be manipulated. To harness the full potential of this approach, the prime requirements are to deliver the siRNA molecules with high selectivity and efficiency into tumor cells and to monitor both siRNA delivery and the resulting knockdown effects at the single-cell level.

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