shRNA: Solving the Subtle

A report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences illustrates how subtle structural differences between two types of RNAs-artificial small hairpin RNA and endogenous microRNA-may help explain the difference between shRNA having a therapeutic effect or being toxic.¹

The researchers found that designing miRNA-like shRNAs offered a potential solution to shRNA toxicity. But industry researchers approached by SciBX also emphasized the need for a solid initial shRNA design process to avoid unwanted side effects in the first place...