The Hindu Business Line : CCMB breakthrough could help cancer therapy

The activity of genes is controlled by several mechanisms in the cell. When, this gene expression is completely stopped or drastically reduced, it is called gene silencing. One of the ways of achieving gene silencing in plants and animals is through ribonucleiacid (RNA), a relatively small molecule and the process is known as RNA interference (RNAi). In the US, the technology was identified as among the top in 2002.

Now, Indian scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, have firmly got onto the race and have unravelled a mechanism that helps in slowing down or controlling the cell division through a foreign molecule - RNAi package.

The finding opens up potential applications, including development of therapies for cancer, where diseased cell proliferation is a major problem. In addition, the understanding can help in the areas of drug development, viral resistance, genetically modified plants and animals and identifying unknown gene functions, Dr Lalji Singh, Director of CCMB, told newspersons today.

The CCMB research team consisting of Mr Utpal Bhadra, his wife, Ms Manika Pal-Bhadra, and co-workers used fruitfly chromosomes to demonstrate that gene silencing is achieved by RNAi and published the findings in the January 30 issue of Science.

Explaining the implications Ms Manika Pal-Bhadra said by understanding the role of RNAi-intervention, possible therapies for cancers and related diseases, which involve cell cycle controls is a possibility. Similarly, in biotechnology, where efforts are on to create transgenic organisms with new traits, for crop improvements and animal husbandry, it holds out promise.

In nature gene silencing takes place to aid in new cell formation, sex determination, in silencing jumping genes and making high order packaging in chromosome cores for proper cell division.

The CCMB has initiated further research to target cancer therapy, anti-viral resistance, especially HIV (AIDS), and in the development of transgenic gene knock-outs for drug validation, Dr Lalji Singh said.

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