MicroRNA Sets Stage for Human Therapies

The yournal "Science":[ http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/326/2] reported about a big step toward developing therapies based on naturally occurring tiny RNA molecules called microRNAs. In the first successful experiment with primates, researchers have blocked **microRNAs** to lower cholesterol levels in monkeys. This achievement builds hope that the strategy could one day be used to attack human diseases. Scientists have eyed **microRNAs** as potential targets for disease-fighting treatments because their malfunction has been implicated in cancer, heart disease, viral infections, and other disorders. Ailing mice have recovered thanks to microRNA-based therapies, but researchers have worried whether blocking overactive microRNAs in people will be feasible and safe. The new tests were led by Santaris Pharma, a biotech company in Horsholm, Denmark, focused on developing **microRNA-based therapies**. The company, which has developed a way to block microRNAs that is different from the strategies previously used in mice, put their method to the test by targeting a microRNA called miR-122 that regulates cholesterol levels. #img_946#.> *By blocking tiny pieces of RNA called **microRNA** in African green monkeys, researchers have shown the potential of using the strategy for fighting disease in humans. Credit: RxGen Inc.* Whole article: "Science":[ http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/326/2]

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