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【medical-news】“沉默中的变革”给我们提供了一
Public release date: 21-Jan-2007
'Quiet revolution' may herald new RNA therapeutics
Scientists at the University of Oxford have identified a surprising way of switching off a gene involved in cell division. The mechanism involves a form of RNA, a chemical found in cell nuclei, whose role was previously unknown, and could have implications for preventing the growth of tumour cells.
RNA plays an important and direct role in the synthesis of proteins, the building blocks of our bodies. However, scientists have known for some time that not all types of RNA are directly involved in protein synthesis. Now, in research funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, a team of scientists has shown that one particular type of RNA plays a key role in regulating the gene implicated in control of tumour growth. The research is published online today in Nature.
The Human Genome Project identified about 34,000 genes responsible for producing proteins. The remaining part ?in fact, most of the genome ?constituted what was considered to be "junk" DNA with no function. However, latest estimates show that this "junk" DNA produces around half a million varieties of RNA of unknown functions.
"There's been a quiet revolution taking place in biology during the past few years over the role of RNA," says Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. "Scientists have begun to see 'junk' DNA as having a very important function. The variety of RNA types produced from this "junk" is staggering and the functional implications are huge."
The particular form of RNA that has been of interest to Dr Akoulitchev's team is involved in regulation of the dihydrofolate reductase gene (DHFR), determining whether the gene is "on" or "off". The DHFR gene produces an enzyme that controls thymine production, necessary in rapidly dividing cells.
"Inhibiting the DHFR gene could help prevent the growth of neoplastic cancerous cells, ordinary cells which develop into tumour cells, such as in prostate cancer cells," explains Dr Akoulitchev. "In fact, the first anti-cancer drug, Methotrexate, acts by binding and inhibiting the enzyme produced by this gene."
Dr Akoulitchev believes that understanding how we can use the RNA to switch off or inhibit DHFR and other genes may have important therapeutic implications for developing new anti-cancer treatments. 本人认领，48小时内翻译不出来，请其他战友认领 Public release date: 21-Jan-2007
公开发行日期：2007-1-21
'Quiet revolution' may herald new RNA therapeutics
“沉默中的变革”给我们提供了一条全新的RNA治疗策略
Scientists at the University of Oxford have identified a surprising way of switching off a gene involved in cell division. The mechanism involves a form of RNA,
a chemical found in cell nuclei, whose role was previously unknown,
and could have implications for preventing the growth of tumour cells.
牛津大学的科学家鉴别出一种可以关闭与细胞分裂有关的基因的方法。
这种机制涉及一种RNA型，一种细胞核中的化学物，我们以前并不知道该化学物的作用。该机制可能在阻止肿瘤细胞的生长方面有作用。
RNA plays an important and direct role in the synthesis of proteins, the building blocks of our bodies. However, scientists have known for some time that not all types of RNA are directly involved in protein synthesis. Now, in research funded by the Wellcome
Trust and the Medical Research Council, a team of scientists has shown that one
particular type of RNA plays a key role in regulating the gene implicated in control of
tumour growth. The research is published online today in Nature.
RNA在合成机体构筑单位的蛋白质方面，有着重要而直接的作用。
然而，经过一段时间以后，科学家认为并非所有的RNA型都直接参与蛋白的合成。目前，在一个由 Welcome Trust and the Medical Research Council资助的研究中，一组科学家已经一种在调控肿瘤生长中起关键作用的特殊的RNA型。该研究目前已经发表于《自然》杂志。
The Human Genome Project identified about 34,000 genes responsible for producing
proteins. The remaining part ?in fact, most of the genome constituted what was
considered to be "junk" DNA with no function. However, latest estimates show that
this "junk" DNA produces around half a million varieties of RNA of unknown functions.
人类基因组计划已经鉴定出了负责生产蛋白质的约34,000 种基因。剩余的部分，事实上是基因组的绝大部分，被认为是没有任何功能的“垃圾”DNA。然而，最新的估计表明这种“垃圾”DNA，生产了约50万种功能未知的RNA.
"There's been a quiet revolution taking place in biology during the past few years over the role of RNA," says Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev, a Senior Research Fellow at the
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-09-01 17:12
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