RNAi Resource: siRNA Transfection

2006-03-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

RNA Interference (RNAi) is utilized in many eukaryotic cells including those found in mammals, which enables protein complex called RISC associate with double-stranded RNA molecules and activate sequence-specific gene silencing (target mRNA degradation).

The chain of reactions involved in cells in this manner enables DNA to be transcripted into RNA, which is then translated into proteins. RNAi research is a valuable process in gene expression studies not only for the studies using cell cultures and living organisms (using in vivo siRNA transfection systems), but in synthetic production of the siRNA that may eventually be introduced into cells to induce gene suppression as disease-gene-targeted RNAi Therapeutics. A number of biology CRO companies are now providing RNAi Therapeutics development services.

siRNA molecules are not stable in animals (degrade in a matter of minutes) and therefore require siRNA encapsulation to be protected from degradation in vivo. Liposomes can be chemically modifoed to allow tissue targeting and delivery of functional siRNA in vivo (targeted siRNA delivery to animal cells and tissues).

RNAi has also been known as post-transcriptional gene silencing, and in 2006, two scientists by the name of Andrew Fire and Craig Mello earned the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine for their work in RNAi studies.

Transfection of siRNA is used in biology laboratories to experimentally induce gene silencing (RNAi) in cultured cells in vitro and animals in vivo. Scientists perform gene expression studies, functional genomics, gene characterization, and discovery of signalling gene pathways by introduction of extracellular molecules, such as small interferring RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), plasmid DNA expressing shRNA, messenger RNA (mRNA).

Transient transfection term refer to introduction of siRNA (or miRNA) molecule inside the cell without affecting its genomic DNA (transient expression), while stable transfection happens at incorporation of plasmid DNA into genome of the host cell (stable expression). Altogen Labs is a Contract Research Company (CRO) offers pre-clinical research studies, GLP-compliant in vivo and in vitro research services, custom liposome encapsulation, cell banking, and provides development of stable cell line service in only 28 days.

There are various cell transfection methods, including chemical transfection, electroporation, sonoporation, magnetofection, and gene gun injection. Commonly used transfection kits and reagents are nanoparticle-, lipid-, liposome-, and polymer-based. Pre-optimizized transfection kits and products are manufactured by Altogen Biosystems.

Optimized siRNA transfection kits include:
In Vivo Transfection Reagents HEK-293 Transfection Reagent MEF Transfection Reagent HepG2 Transfection Reagent Cos7 Transfection Reagent A549 Transfection Reagent HUVEC Transfection Reagent LNCaP Transfection Reagent MCF-7 Transfection Reagent

Transfection Links:
Biology Research Resource: RNAi, Cell Transfection, Protocols, Methods
WikiPedia: What is transfection?
Biology Research Services: Stably-Expressing Cell Line Generation
RNAi Services
In Vivo siRNA Transfection Kits and Reagents

Optimized cell-specific siRNA transfection reagents:
hamster ovary epithelial cells
human hepatocellular carcinoma cells
mammary epithelial cancer cells
human breast cancer cells
colorectal adenocarcinoma cells
human osteosarcoma cells
human hepatoma cells
umbilical vein endothelial cells
breast cancer cells
murine embryonic fibroblast cells
mouse embryonic stem cells
tracheal gland cells
human diploid fibroblast cells
mouse fibroblast cells
normal rat kidney epithelial cells
human neuroblastoma cells
bone marrow neuroblastoma cells
neuroblastoma cells
human adrenocortical carcinoma cells
glioblastoma cells

RNAi Transfection Resource

RNAi Resource: siRNA Transfection