Gene Silencing

[hhayes]

Americans Andrew Fire and Craig Mello won the 2006 Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday for their discovery of how to switch off genes, a potential road to new treatments for diseases from AIDS to blindness to cancer.
Through experiments with worms, the two showed that a double strand of ribonucleic acid, or RNA, the genetic messenger of the cell, can "silence" targeted genes in a process known as RNA interference (RNAi).

Two U.S. scientists win Nobel for "gene silencing"

 

[sharpies]

What about silencing the gene for blonde hair or dark hair or white skin or ...

This list seems endless & maybe a little frightening.

Allan

 

[Toucan42]

The whole notion of messing with genetic coding can be frightening when we consider it being used as a means to an end. When thought of in terms of scientific understanding and the potential uses for medicine and preventitive treatments it's pretty amazing stuff!

 

[sharpies]

Don't think that I am not in favour of Genetic Tamppering. In many ways it is a great step forward, but unfortunately Man has an inate cruel streak that comes out from time to time.

Many of our greatest discoveries have very scary options. I'm not saying that we shouldn't use them, just that we should be aware.

Allan

 

[PrincessJettMicheyl]

I'm sure they'll come up with a thousand and three rules and regulations to keep stuff like that from happening...

They always do

 

[andcuriouser]

And then someone will exploit the unwritten thousand and fourth...

It's a great step forward, but the implications can be a little bit terrifying.

 

[elluko]

pretty soon we'll all be genetically enhanced supermen!

 

[hhayes]

in the future they could prevent diseases for humans i think its pretty awesome. they took mice with an untreatable heriditary brain disease. they treated some five week old mice and in six months these mice had no signs of the disease. The RNA interference gene therapy had no noticeable side effects.

The technique, known as RNA interference, involves using fragments of RNA called short interfering RNA (siRNA). These fragments were injected into brain cells on stripped-down viruses, called viral vectors. The cells possess a defence mechanism, whereby siRNA entering a cell triggers the destruction of all RNA with a matching sequence. This meant the toxic protein could not be produced and the degenerative condition did not develop.

 

[sharpies]

... & here's the ugly side. A Genetically Engineered Disease that can wipe out anyone with a certain DNA sequence. It is risky since humans show very little difference genetically but depending on a few things it may be possible to wipe out all people of one racial background.

Allan

 

[hhayes]

very probible. but i don't think they have that in mind. i just hope they don't do like they did when they decided to clone things. they went in a totally wrong direction with that.

 

[sharpies]

Einstein did not intend to blow up Nagasaki or Hiroshima, when he announced that E=MCsquared.