Delivery of Micro RNA Sponges for Interrogation of Micro RNA Function In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract

Promoters are regulatory elements that provide precise control of magnitude, specificity and duration of shRNA expression and gene silencing. The selection of a suitable promoter is therefore critical in the design of a shRNA expression system. We discuss the use of different promoters for shRNA expression, including constitutive promoters, inducible promoters, and tissue/tumor specific promoters. Recently, miRNA-based shRNAs have received increasing attention as a promising RNAi approach. We have therefore also summarized the use of miRNA backbone to enhance gene silencing and to reduce toxicities. The application of miRNA-shRNA for combinatorial gene therapy is also discussed. © 2013 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.