Because the pathophysiology of cancer is linked to alteration
of cellular gene expression, the bioinformatics toolbox promises to offer countless molecular insights into mechanisms, diagnostics, and new medical interventions for cancer.
To do this, the scientists based their sequence inputs on microRNA, small RNA molecules that regulate
cellular gene expression.
Dr. Verma's major research interests are
cellular genes whose alteration can cause cancer and the development of techniques for gene therapy.
A major problem is toxicity: impeding either may not only activate latent virus, but also a whole lot of
other cellular genes leading to symptoms like those seen in the side effects of cancer chemotherapy.
This so - called microRNA disrupts the expression of two
key cellular genes called TGF - β and SMAD3, in a process known as RNA interference (RNAi).
How cellular gene regulatory networks (GRNs) respond to the morphogen, in a concentration - dependent manner, is a pivotal question in developmental biology.
Similar to latently infected CD4 + T cells, the J - Lat cells harbor a full - length HIV - 1 genome that is transcriptionally competent, is integrated within actively
transcribed cellular genes, and is inhibited at the transcriptional level.
With these tools, Verma is revealing how the aberrant expression of
normal cellular genes can causes tumors.
On the other hand, using near - term nanotechnology to deliver into cancer cells siRNA or miRNA to
alter cellular gene expression might also make it possible to «repair cancerous cells».
In addition to gene therapy technologies, Dr Verma's major research interests are
cellular genes whose alteration can cause or suppress cancer.
To account for the remarkable similarity between retrovirus oncogenes and their normal cellular kin, most virologists have settled on the idea that retrovirus oncogenes are copies
of cellular genes.
It is
a cellular gene, which is now called c - src.
«In contrast to RNA interference, which is commonly used to inactivate gene activity, the CRISPR - on system allows activation of
cellular genes.
Mobile DNAs in rice carry fragments of more than 1000
cellular genes.