Biotech, Pharm, Drug Development

Thermo Fisher Simplifies RNAi Delivery

Wade Roush 3/10/08

Research into the use of RNA interference (RNAi) to “silence” gene activity is picking up steam (see our story two weeks ago about Alnylam’s RNAi-based treatment for RSV), but it’s still very difficult just to get RNAi agents inside cells, where they can actually do their jobs. Today Waltham, MA-based Thermo Fisher Scientific unveiled a new agent that it says can be absorbed by cultured cells directly “without the use of conventional delivery methods such as transfection reagents, viruses or electroporation.” Such an agent could significantly speed any biomedical or pharmaceutical research project in which RNAi is used to shut off specific genes, according to Thermo.

Wade Roush is Xconomy's chief correspondent. You can e-mail him at wroush@xconomy.com, call him at (617) 252-7323, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wroush.