Novel gene silencing strategies

Research project:
Novel gene silencing strategies

Group leader and key members:
Eivind Hovig, Sigurd Bøe, Ane Sager Longva

Home address Internet:
http://radium.no/hovig/index.php?mid=4&k=hovig/gene_therapy

Department/Institute:
Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Cancer Research

Hospital:
Dnr-RH HF

Main aim:
The main aim is to develop reproducible and easily applicable strategies for gene silencing using synthetic molecules. The molecules include peptide nucleic acids and siRNA. The main focus is delivery in vitro, controlled in time and space. A further goal is to use these methods for signal network modelling, both in the lab and in silico.

Important results:
Methods have been developed to successfully deliver PNA molecules at low concentration to a wide range of cell lines, obtaining remaining protein levels of targeted protein at 10-15%,. This is at present described in a patent application, and manuscript is under development. Other results will be provided as these procedural matters have been cleared.

Methods:
Western blots, inverted fluorescense microscopy, FACS, microarrays, cell culture, rt-PCR, others.

Equipment:


Key search words:
gene silencing, peptide nucleic acids (PNA), siRNA