siRNA for inhibiting HIV-I replication

RNAi is fast emerging as a wonderful tool for inhibiting gene expression in a sequence specific manner. The applications of this technology are two-fold: to study gene function, and use as a therapeutic agent in treating many diseases. As a therapeutic agent it finds applications in antiviral treatments because RNAi has been shown to successfully [...]

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Cancer Drug Bio-factories: Hairy Roots

The Ri (root-inducing) plasmid of Agrobacterium rhizogenes carries agropine genes. When A. rhizogenes infects a plant, a portion of the Ri plasmid DNA enters the host plant cell and causes the production of hairy roots at the site of action. A foreign gene could be inserted into modified Ri plasmid and the recombinant DNA (plasmid) [...]

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Major breakthrough in Parkinson’s disease research

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine researchers have announced a major finding that could lead to development of better therapies for one of the most common neurological disorders, Parkinson’s disease.
Dopamine is required for smooth and coordinated function of the body’s muscles and movements. Parkinson’s disease occurs when dopamine producing nerve cells of substantia nigra [...]

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A new cancer vaccine on the anvil

A recent finding published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology reports the synthesis of a carbohydrate-based vaccine for cancer. The study carried out in mice demonstrated that the vaccine triggers a strong immune response to cancer cells. The vaccine has been created synthetically and has shown promising results in creating an antibody response that can [...]

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