抗流感病毒小RNAs研究进展

流行性感冒是一类由流感病毒引起的呼吸道传染病, 通过季节性流行或全球性爆发严重威胁着人类健康。目前防治流感的主要方法是疫苗和药物, 但存在神经毒性、肠胃副作用、易耐药等诸多限制因素。新的技术特别是小RNAs介导的RNA干扰(RNAi)技术, 因其具有高效、特异、快速等特点, 已成为抗病毒治疗的候选方法之一。随着近年来流感病毒的流行, 应用小RNAs抗流感病毒的报导越来越多, 其中靶向PA、NP和M2的PA-2087, NP-1496和M-950是目前报道的抑制流感病毒效果最好的siRNA。靶向不同流感病毒基因保守区域的siRNA具有更广泛的病毒毒株抑制效果, 靶向不同基因的siRNAs联合使用可取得更好的病毒抑制效果。文章就目前siRNAs和miRNAs在抗流感病毒方面的研究进展及RNAi治疗的前景和问题进行了综述。     

siRNA脱靶效应类型与规避策略

小干扰RNAs(small interfere RNAs,siRNAs)能够特异性沉默靶基因,现已广泛应用于阐明基因功能,鉴定药物靶点,开发比目前更有效的治疗药物。然而siRNA脱靶效应(off-target effects,OTEs)导致基因沉默实验中表型效应解释复杂化,引起siRNA治疗毒副作用。与siRNA有关的脱靶效应有microRNA样脱靶效应、免疫刺激、RNAi元件饱和三种类型。综述了siRNA脱靶效应类型及减轻脱靶效应的方法,以增强该技术的实用性。     

miRNA和siRNA在乳腺癌靶向治疗中的研究进展

microRNAs(miRNAs)和效应分子小干扰RNAs(siRNAs)在细胞发育、细胞分化、细胞功能周期调控与细胞凋亡中具有重要的作用,其可用于沉默或关闭特异性癌症基因。目前研究发现,siRNA和miRNA在乳腺癌中表达异常且与乳腺癌的发生、发展以及疗效有关,提示它们可作为筛查、诊断及预后的生物学标志物。本文将回顾siRNA和miRNA在乳腺癌靶向治疗方面的研究进展以及它们作为靶向治疗工具的潜在可能和所面临的挑战。     

单链抗体靶向递送系统在RNA干扰中的应用

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是一种由干扰小RNA(small interfering RNA,siRNA)介导的转录后基因沉默.随着医学的发展,通过RNAi来抑制靶基因的表达已经成为一种强有力的研究基因功能、验证药物靶标和治疗多种疾病的方法.然而,RNAi在哺乳动物中的治疗应用却受到基因递送系统的限制,即siRNA在体内递送的靶向性.目前,各种配体,如糖基化分子、肽类、蛋白质、抗体和基因工程抗体片段对于靶向递送siRNA具有巨大的应用潜力.它们改善了基因递送系统的有效性、特异性和安全性.本文主要就单链抗体-鱼精蛋白截短体融合蛋白在 RNAi中的应用进行综述.     

针对leader序列的siRNA能够有效抑制SARS冠状病毒多个mRNA的表达

小干扰RNAs(siRNAs)能够有效降解具有互补序列的RNA.在SARS-CoV的基因组RNA和所有亚基因组RNA的5′端均有一段共同的leader序列,而且该leader序列在不同的病毒分离物中高度保守,因此leader序列可作为一个用于抑制SARS-CoV复制的有效靶点.研究表明,针对leader序列化学合成的siRNA和DNA载体表达的shRNA都可以有效抑制SARS-CoV mRNA的表达.Leader序列特异的siRNA或shRNA不仅可以有效抑制leader与报告基因EGFP融合基因的表达,而且还可以有效抑制leader与刺突蛋白(spikeprotein)、膜蛋白(membrane protein)和核衣壳蛋白(nucleocapsid protein)基因的融合转录产物的表达.结果表明,针对leader序列的RNA干扰可以发展成为一种抗SARS-CoV治疗的有效策略.     

RNAi技术在人类肿瘤治疗中取得新进展

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)技术是向细胞中导入双链RNA并通过其与内源性RNA特异地结合从而阻碍这一特定基因的翻译或转录来抑制基因表达的技术。最初,这一技术的作用在秀丽隐杆线虫中得到印证,随后研究者使用小干扰RNAs(siRNAs,约21个碱基对构成的双链RNA)在哺乳动物细胞当中介导RNAi作用获得成功。这些工作预示着RNAi技术可能为人类疾病的治疗提供一种崭新有效的方法。     

siRNA抑制乙肝病毒的研究进展

乙型肝炎作为一种发病率高、死亡率高的传染性疾病,已严重威胁人类健康,乙肝病毒（hepatitis B virus,HBV）是诱发乙型肝炎的重要病因。目前,最主要的治疗方法是运用抗病毒药物控制病情,但这些药物都不能完全治愈乙型肝炎且复发率高。近年来,RNA干扰技术（RNA interference, RNAi）逐渐成为有效、快速治疗乙型肝炎的新疗法。利用RNA干扰技术体外合成针对HBV基因的siRNA,选择适当的载体将其运送至靶细胞,使HBV基因沉默,从而抑制病毒复制,可有效达到治疗乙肝的效果。本文围绕siRNA沉默HBV基因的设计原理、递送载体、靶向策略、以及治疗效果与应用前景等方面进行了系统综述,为今后siRNA治疗乙肝的临床应用提供参考。     

小干扰RNA的研究进展

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是近年发展起来的一种新技术。RNAi是指通过外源性或内源性的双链RNA在体内诱导靶基因mRNA产生特异性降解,进而引起不同水平的基因沉默,其效应分子主要是小干扰RNA(siRNA)。siRNA是生物界普遍存在的一种抵御外来基因和病毒感染的基因调控方式,也是一种重要的研究工具。大量的研究工作致力于设计合理的siRNA片段用于基因功能研究,并将其作为一种治疗方法用于肿瘤、病毒性疾病等基因治疗以及药物靶向研究。因此本文对siRNA的作用机制、设计原则及其在临床应用中的缺点和解决方法进行综述。     

小干扰RNA的研究进展

RNA干扰（RNA interference,RNAi）是近年发展起来的一种新技术。RNAi是指通过外源性或内源性的双链RNA在体内诱导靶基因mR_NA产生特异性降解,进而引起不同水平的基因沉默。其效应分子主要是小干扰RNA（siRNA）。siRNA是生物界普遍存在的一种抵御外来基因和病毒感染的基因调控方式,也是一种重要的研究工具。大量的研究工作致力于设计合理的siRNA片段用于基因功能研究,并将其作为一种治疗方法用于肿瘤、病毒性疾病等基因治疗以及药物靶向研究。因此本文对siRNA的作用机制、设计原则及其在临床应用中的缺点和解决方法进行综述。     

抑制麻疹病毒体外复制的效应性小干扰RNA的鉴定

为了鉴定抑制麻疹病毒体外复制的靶向Rab9GTPase基因效应性小干扰RNA（siRNA）,根据。iRNA设计原则和Rab9GTPase基因的mRNA序列,设计并化学合成8对靶向Rab9GTPase基因的siRNAs和1对阴性对照siRNA,经脂质体法转染Vero—E6细胞株,转染10h后感染麻疹病毒Edmonston株。通过逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT—PCR）检测转染后细胞内Rab9GTPasemRNA水平;通过标准蚀斑试验检测麻疹病毒滴度。同对照组相比,8对靶向Rab9GTPase基因siRNAs中的2对（Rab9-4和Rab9—7）,以时间和剂量依赖性的方式显著地抑制细胞内Rab9GTPasemRNA表达和麻疹病毒的复制（抑制率高达90％以上）,其他的siRNAs对细胞内Rab9GTPasemRNA表达和麻疹病毒的复制的抑制性效应则低于50％。结果表明,Rab9-4和Rab9—7是体外抑制麻疹病毒复制的最有效的siRNAs,这些siRNAs靶序列能被用来深入研究RNA干扰治疗麻疹病毒感染的可能性。     

Small Interfering RNA Targeting M2 Gene Induces Effective and Long Term Inhibition of Influenza A Virus Replication

RNA interference (RNAi) provides a powerful new means to inhibit viral infection specifically. However, the selection of siRNA-resistant viruses is a major concern in the use of RNAi as antiviral therapeutics. In this study, we conducted a lentiviral vector with a H1-short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression cassette to deliver small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) into mammalian cells. Using this vector that also expresses enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) as surrogate marker, stable shRNA-expressing cell lines were successfully established and the inhibition efficiencies of rationally designed siRNAs targeting to conserved regions of influenza A virus genome were assessed. The results showed that a siRNA targeting influenza M2 gene (siM2) potently inhibited viral replication. The siM2 was not only effective for H1N1 virus but also for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. In addition to its M2 inhibition, the siM2 also inhibited NP mRNA accumulation and protein expression. A long term inhibition effect of the siM2 was demonstrated and the emergence of siRNA-resistant mutants in influenza quasispecies was not observed. Taken together, our study suggested that M2 gene might be an optimal RNAi target for antiviral therapy. These findings provide useful information for the development of RNAi-based prophylaxis and therapy for human influenza virus infection.     

RNA interference against animal viruses: how morbilliviruses generate extended diversity to escape small interfering RNA control

Viruses are serious threats to human and animal health. Vaccines can prevent viral diseases, but few antiviral treatments are available to control evolving infections. Among new antiviral therapies, RNA interference (RNAi) has been the focus of intensive research. However, along with the development of efficient RNAi-based therapeutics comes the risk of emergence of resistant viruses. In this study, we challenged the in vitro propensity of a morbillivirus (peste des petits ruminants virus), a stable RNA virus, to escape the inhibition conferred by single or multiple small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against conserved regions of the N gene. Except with the combination of three different siRNAs, the virus systematically escaped RNAi after 3 to 20 consecutive passages. The genetic modifications involved consisted of single or multiple point nucleotide mutations and a deletion of a stretch of six nucleotides, illustrating that this virus has an unusual genomic malleability.     

Design of extended short hairpin RNAs for HIV-1 inhibition

RNA interference (RNAi) targeted towards viral mRNAs is widely used to block virus replication in mammalian cells. The specific antiviral RNAi response can be induced via transfection of synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or via intracellular expression of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs). For HIV-1, both approaches resulted in profound inhibition of virus replication. However, the therapeutic use of a single siRNA/shRNA appears limited due to the rapid emergence of RNAi-resistant escape viruses. These variants contain deletions or point mutations within the target sequence that abolish the antiviral effect. To avoid escape from RNAi, the virus should be simultaneously targeted with multiple shRNAs. Alternatively, long hairpin RNAs can be used from which multiple effective siRNAs may be produced. In this study, we constructed extended shRNAs (e-shRNAs) that encode two effective siRNAs against conserved HIV-1 sequences. Activity assays and RNA processing analyses indicate that the positioning of the two siRNAs within the hairpin stem is critical for the generation of two functional siRNAs. E-shRNAs that are efficiently processed into two effective siRNAs showed better inhibition of virus production than the poorly processed e-shRNAs, without inducing the interferon response. These results provide building principles for the design of multi-siRNA hairpin constructs.     

RNA interference-mediated virus clearance from cells both acutely and chronically infected with the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Several arenaviruses, including Lassa fever virus, cause severe, often lethal hemorrhagic fever in humans. No licensed vaccines are available in the United States, and currently there is no efficacious therapy to treat this viral infection. Therefore the importance of developing effective antiviral approaches to combat pathogenic arenaviruses is clear. Moreover, the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an important model for the study of viral persistence and associated diseases, as well as for exploring therapies to treat viral chronic infections. The use of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to downregulate gene expression via RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful genetic tool for the study of gene function. In addition, the successful use of siRNAs to target a variety of animal viruses has led us to consider RNAi as a potential novel antiviral strategy. We have investigated the use of RNAi therapy against LCMV. Here, we show that siRNAs targeting sequences within the viral L polymerase and Z mRNAs inhibit LCMV multiplication in cultured cells. Unexpectedly, the antiviral efficacy of RNAi-based therapy against LCMV was highly dependent on the method used to deliver effector siRNA molecules. Thus, transfection of chemically synthesized siRNA pools to L and Z was ineffective in preventing virus multiplication. In contrast, targeting of the same viral L and Z gene products with siRNAs produced inside cells using a replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus expression system inhibited LCMV multiplication very efficiently. Notably, transduction with the replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus expression system to Z and L effectively cured persistently LCMV-infected cells, suggesting the feasibility of using RNAi therapy to combat viral chronic infections by riboviruses.     

靶向HIV-1pol的高效人工miRNA的构建与体外抗病毒能力评价

RNAi技术在抗HIV-1治疗研究中已显示出巨大潜力,获得可高效特异抑制HIV-1的RNAi元件是进行相关研究的重要基础。miRNA在抑制和表达方式上相比siRNA具有更多的优势。本研究即探讨构建可高效特异靶向HIV-1的人工miRNA元件。选择以保守性较好的HIV-1pol基因为靶区筛选高效保守的RNAi序列,设计了16个可靶向pol区高保守区段的RNAi靶点,构建表达载体与HIV-1感染性克隆进行共转染抑制实验,筛选显示pol1026序列兼具高保守性及高抑制效率特点。以天然miR-30a为基础骨架构建了靶向pol1026靶点的人工miRNA元件,通过与HIV-1感染性克隆质粒的共转染抑制实验验证获得了可有效抑制HIV-1表达的人工miRNA元件(miR-1026E)。通过与携带靶序列的报告质粒的共转染实验证明miR-1026E具有良好的靶点特异性。本研究进一步构建了携带miR-1026E表达元件的重组慢病毒,转导MT-4细胞并对转导后细胞进行克隆化筛选,获得稳定整合miR-1026E表达元件的MT-4-miR1026E细胞克隆,该细胞在体外攻毒实验中可高效抑制HIV-1的复制,具有显著的抑制HIV-1的能力。同时应用实时RT-PCR方法检测显示,miR-1026E在细胞中不会影响内源性代表miRNA(miR-181与miR-16)的表达水平和干扰素效应相关基因stat1的表达水平,具有良好的特异性。所获得的可特异高效抑制HIV-1复制的人工miRNA元件可为抗HIV-1研究提供重要参考。     

Effective inhibition of mRNA accumulation and protein expression of H5N1 avian influenza virus NS1 gene in vitro by small interfering RNAs

Avian influenza has emerged as a devastating disease and may cross species barrier and adapt to a new host, causing enormous economic loss and great public health threats, and non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a multifunctional non-structural protein of avian influenza virus (AIV) that counters cellular antiviral activities and is a virulence factor. RNA interference (RNAi) provides a powerful promising approach to inhibit viral infection specifically. To explore the possibility of using RNAi as a strategy against AIV infection, after the fusion protein expression plasmids pNS1-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), which contain the EGFP reporter gene and AIV NS1 as silencing target, were constructed and NS1-EGFP fusion protein expressing HEK293 cell lines were established, four small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting NS1 gene were designed, synthesized, and used to transfect the stable cell lines. Flow cytometry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot were performed to assess the expression level of NS1. The results suggested that sequence-dependent specific siRNAs effectively inhibited mRNA accumulation and protein expression of AIV NS1 in vitro. These findings provide useful information for the development of RNAi-based prophylaxis and therapy for AIV infection.     

Screening efficient siRNAs in vitro as the candidate genes for chicken anti-avian influenza virus H5N1 breeding

The frequent disease outbreaks caused by avian influenza virus (AIV) not only affect the poultry industry but also pose a threat to human safety. To address the problem, RNA interference (RNAi) has recently been widely used as a potential antiviral approach. Transgenesis, in combination with RNAi to specifically inhibit AIV gene expression, has been proposed to make chickens resistant to avian influenza. For the transgenic breeding, screening the efficient siRNAs in vitro as the candidate genes is one of the most important tasks. Here, we combined an online search tool and a series of bioinformatics programs with a set of rules for designing the siRNAs targeting different mRNA regions of AIV H5N1 subtype. By this method we chose five rational siRNAs, constructed five U6 promoter-driven shRNA expression plasmids contained the siRNA genes, and used these to produce stably transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Data from virus titration, IFA, PUI-stained flow cytometry, real-time quantitative RT-PCR and DAS-ELISA analyses showed that all five stably transfected cell lines were effectively resistant to viral replication when exposed to 100 CCID50 of AIV, and we finally chose the most effective plasmids (pSi-604i and pSi-1597i) as the candidates for making the transgenic chickens. These findings provide baseline information for breeding transgenic chickens resistant to AIV in combination with RNAi.     

Hairpin RNA-mediated strategies for silencing of tomato leaf curl virus AC1 and AC4 genes for effective resistance in plants

RNA interference (RNAi) using short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) has been widely explored for the suppression of intracellular viral target mRNAs. On the basis of our previous work with stable silencing of Tomato leaf curl virus, in vivo by the antisense replicase gene (AC1) of the virus and characterizing AC4, as a small RNA regulator, besides its role in pathogenicity, we used four different plasmid vector-based siRNA generation strategies to silence viral genes (AC1 and AC4) of tomato leaf curl viruses. The RNAi target sequence were chosen from DNA A of the Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) on the basis of conserved regions in AC1 with an overlapping sequences of the AC4 gene. Different hairpin RNA-mediated strategies like antisense, self-complementary inverted repeats, intron-spliced hairpin RNAs, and small hairpin RNAs were deployed for efficient and predictable resistance to the viruses. Here we present that appropriately designed siRNAs not only prevents RNAi suppression but also help in developing trait-stable transgenics. These strategies imply that ToLCV rep-driven RNAi, targeting AC4 and conserved viral sequences, provides a promising approach to suppress a wide spectrum ToLCV infection in the tomato.