Advances with RNA interference in Alzheimer’s disease research

Abstract

Shun Chen,1,2,* Xuemei Ge,2,* Yinghui Chen,3,* Nan Lv,2 Zhenguo Liu,1 Weien Yuan2 1Department of Neurology, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 2School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 3Department of Neurology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by memory and cognitive dysfunction. Unfortunately, there is no effective therapeutic method for AD treatment or ways to halt disease progression. Many mechanisms are involved in the disease, including genes mutation and protein dysfunction. RNA interference (RNAi) technology may potentially be able to control AD. It can inhibit the protein expression of specific genes by activating a sequence-specific RNA degradation process. This is a powerful tool with which to study gene function, investigate the mechanism of the disease, and validate drug targets. In this review, we highlight the advances in RNAi technology in the investigation and treatment of AD.Keywords: RNAi, β-amyloid, tau, amyloid precursor protein