Design,delivery and efficacy testing of therapeutic nucleic acids used to inhibit hepatitis C virus gene expression in vitro and in vivo

Despite major achievements in the treatment ofchronic hepatitis C with the combination ofinterferons and the nucleoside analog ribavirin themajority of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection cannot be treated effectively.Toimprove this response rate we used antisensetechnologies to inhibit HCV translation as possibleadditional option for experimental treatment.Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides(ODN) are

Mechanism of exogenous nucleic acids and their precursors improving the repair of intestinal epithelium after 7-irradiation in mice

AIM To clone expressed genes associated withrepair of irradiation-damaged mice intestinalgland cells treated by small intestinal RNA,andto explore the molecular mechanism ofexogenous nucleic acids improving repair ofintestinal crypt.METHODS The animal mode of test group andcontrol group was established,forty-five micebeing irradiated by γ ray were treated with smallintestinal RNA as test group,forty mice beingirradiated by γ ray were treated withphysiological saline as control group,five micewithout irradiation were used as normal control,their jejunal specimens were collectedrespectively at 6h,12h,24h,4d and 8d afterirradiation.Then by using LD-PCR based onsubtractive hybridization,these gene fragmentsdifferentially expressed between test group andcontrol group were obtained,and then werecloned into T vectors as well as beingsequenced.Obtained sequences were screenedagainst.GeneBank,if being new sequences,they were submitted to GeneBank.RESULTS Ninety clones were associated withrepair of irradiation-damaged intestinal glandcells treated by intestinal RNA.These clonesfrom test group of 6h,12h,24h,4d and 8dwere respectively 18,22,25,13,12.By screening against GeneBank,18 of which werenew sequences,the others were dramaticallysimilar to the known sequences,mainly similarto hsp,Nmi,Dutt1,alkaline phosphatase,homeobox,anti-CEA ScFv antibody,arginine/serine kinase and BMP-4,repA.Eighteen genefragments were new sequences,their acceptnumbers in GeneBank were respectivelyAF240164-AF240181.CONCLUSION Ninety clones were obtained tobe associated with repair of irradiation-damagedmice intestinal gland cells treated by smallintestinal RNA,which may be related toabnormal expression of genes and matchedproteins of hsp,Nmi,Duttl,Na,K-ATPase,alkalineph-osphatase,glkA,single strandedreplicative centromeric gene as well as 18 newsequences.

Omega-6 for Body,Omega-3 for Brain:Balance for Brain Development in Children

Food must supply a balance of nutrients to support both brain and body.The human brain makes us uniquely human.Essential fatty acids are part of the metabolic pathways that define tissue structure and function.Omega-6(O6)linoleic acid(LA6)has long been known to be required for skin structure,and as a precursor for inflammatory,thrombotic,immune,and other signaling molecules.Omega-3(O3)alpha-linolenic acid(ALA3)and particularly its long chain product docosahexaenoic acid(DHA3)has a key structural role in the brain,retina,and related neural tissue.In the 20 th century western world,inexpensive,high quality oils primarily from LA6-rich/O3-poor vegetable seed oils became dominant fats produced by the food industry.Provision of LA6-rich/O3-poor oils as the sole source of fat in the diets of pregnant animals causes O3 deficiency and poor brain development,primarily because high LA6 antagonizes metabolism of all O3,creating an artificial metabolic demand for O3.Data developed over the last 2~3 decades show that provision of low LA6 combined with preformed DHA3 optimizes brain function.Recent studies emphasize the importance of nutrition to support brain development,with newer findings showing particular importance of fatty acid balance in malnourished children.The World Health Organization(WHO)through the Codex Alimentarius(“Code for Food”)is increasingly recognizing the primacy of brain health and in part on that basis recently acted to recommend balanced fat for Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Foods used to treat children with severe acute malnutrition.Similar principles are likely to be important in older persons.Industry now has the tools to adjust the composition of oils to support brain health throughout the life cycle.