Treatment with caspase 8 siRNA prevents acute liver failure (ALF)

Background: A major concern in therapy of acute liver failure is protection of hepatocytes to prevent apoptosis and maintain liver function. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a powerful tool to silence gene expression in mammalian cells, but until now studies are lacking that demonstrate successful therapeutic application of siRNA in mammals. Methods/Results: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of siRNA in vivo we used a mouse model of ALF. We directed a 21-nucleotide siRNA against caspase 8, which is a key enzyme in receptor mediated apoptosis. Transfection of hepatoma cells with siRNAcaspase8 prevents FasL and…