title: RNAi based approaches to the treatment of malignant glioma.
abstract: RNA interference (RNAi) is a recently discovered, powerful molecular mechanism that can be harnessed to engineer gene-specific silencing in mammalian tissues. A mechanism, where short double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, when introduced into cells elicit specific "knock-down" of gene expression via degradation of targeted messenger RNA, has lately become the technique of choice for analysis of gene function in oncology research. Thus, RNAi is currently being extensively evaluated as a potential therapeutic strategy against malignant gliomas, since surgical, radiological, and chemotherapeutic interventions during the past few decades have done little to improve the poor prognosis rate for patients with these dreaded tumors. This review summarizes the pre-clinical studies that are currently underway to test the validity of RNAi as a potential therapeutic strategy against malignant gliomas, and discusses the potential technical hurdles that remain to be overcome before the technique can become a promising clinical therapy to combat this frequently lethal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 808 HWCRC, 4100 John R. Road, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. smathupala@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Saroj P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Mathupala
authors.forename: Murali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guthikonda
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sloan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering