Defective genes manage to 'silence' them

2003/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

Genes are in pairs, one is collected from the mother and the other from her father. Sometimes it is enough that in one of them there is a mistake to develop a disease. Now, without affecting the normal gene, researchers have found a way not to express the defective gene.

Research has been conducted at the University of Iowa in the U.S. and it is believed that one day it can be used to treat diseases such as cancer, diseases caused by viruses, Huntington's disease and other similar genetic diseases. Yes, you must first find the gene guilty of the disease.

To prevent the expression of a defective gene, researchers have used a technique based on a special RNA, RNA interference. With this small RNA they have managed to block the mutated gene without any change in the normal gene. In addition, they have seen that in a gene it is able to detect and influence exclusively the change of single nucleotide.