RNA Interference from Biology to Therapeutics

Kenneth A. Howard

Oct 2012 · Springer Science & Business Media

About this ebook

The enormous potential of siRNA as a therapeutic has led to an explosion of interest from the scientific community. There has been intense interest from Big Pharma to capitalise on this new technology but the fact remains that delivery is a key determinant in realizing the full clinical potential of RNA interference. There is an urgent need for better delivery methods to take this technology forward. This book addresses the role of different RNAi molecules in cellular processes as rational for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This book will cover RNAi therapeutic design to optimize siRNA potency and reduce off-target effects and current delivery technologies to overcome both intracellular and extracellular barriers. The reader will gain an insight into RNA interference from the cellular mechanisms to screening to siRNA design right through to diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

About the author

Kenneth Alan Howard is an Associate Professor and Group Leader at the Department of Molecular Biology at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark. His team is based in a highly interdisciplinary setting with research and teaching activities focused on advanced drug delivery, nanomedicine, RNA interference, and inflammation. Dr Howard is CEO of an Aarhus University spin-out company that provides delivery solutions for RNA interference-based therapeutics. Kenneth Alan Howard received a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Nottingham, UK in 1995, and has held postdoctoral positions at the CRC Institute for Cancer Studies, University of Birmingham, UK and the School of Pharmacy, University of London. Dr Howard is an active member of the Controlled Release Society serving on the Board of Scientific Advisors (chair), Nominations Committee and organizer of a CRS Educational workshop “RNA Interference Biology and Therapeutics”.