BookLong-Cheng Li, editor.
Summary: This book offers an essential guide to RNA activation (RNAa), an emerging and fascinating new field. RNAa is a small RNA-guided and Argonaute-dependent gene regulation phenomenon in which promoter-targeted short double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) induce target gene expression at the transcriptional level. It occurs primarily in the nucleus and can be mediated by artificially designed short duplex RNAs that target regulatory sequences (e.g., promoters, genes' 3' termini and enhancers) and naturally occurring small RNAs (e.g., miRNAs and C. elegans 22G-RNAs). With contributions from internationally respected RNA experts, this book provides comprehensive coverage of different RNAa mechanisms and a timely update on recent advances in RNAa research, with a focus on developing RNAa-based therapeutics. Special chapters are also devoted to the topics of gene activation induced by antisense oligonucleotides and the CRISPR system. As the first book to cover RNAa, it will be of interest to a wide audience, from scientists in academia and the pharmaceutical industry to clinicians who wish to further explore the biology of RNAa and related phenomena, so as to harness their full potential for use in biotechnology and drug development.
Contents:
1. Small RNA-guided transcriptional gene activation (RNAa) in mammalian cells
2. Enhancing neurogenesis and counteracting neuropathogenic gene haploinsufficiencies by RNA gene activation
3. Target-recognition mechanism and specificity of RNA
4. Promoter-targeting small activating RNAs alter nucleosome positioning
5. Endogenous miRNAa: miRNA-mediated gene upregulation
6. miRNA-mediated RNA activation in mammalian cells
7. RNAa induced by TATA box-targeting microRNAs
8. miRNA-mediated RNAa by targeting enhancers
9. Specific increase of protein levels by enhancing translation using antisense oligonucleotides targeting upstream open frames
10. Repurposing CRISPR system for transcriptional activation
11. RNA-mediated gene activation: identifying a candidate RNA for preclinical development
12. Treatment of pancreatic cancer by aptamer conjugated C/EBPα-saRNA
13. Treatment of liver cancer by C/EBPA saRNA
14. Enhancing angiogeneis in mice by VEGF-targeting small activating RNAs
15. Suppression of prostate cancer metastasis by DPYSL3-targeted saRNA
16. Development of therapeutic dsP21-322 for cancer treatment
Index.