2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. RNA interference (RNAi) is a broad term that can refer to the effects of short or long noncoding RNAs on expression of individual or families of protein-encoding genes. This article is focused on one aspect of RNAi, namely the use of short double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) or their precursors that exhibit sequence-specific binding with target mRNAs, resulting in posttranscriptional gene silencing. This form of RNAi has revolutionized studies on gene pathways and networks and is a promising new approach for clinical treatment of various diseases including cancer.
