The scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Department of Chemical Biology in the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) have unravelled the mystery of complex processes in animal and human development using RNAi.

The understanding of the mechanism of RNAi could be helpful in modern medicine by using the power of RNAi for destroying the machinery of infectious organisms and as a therapy against broad spectrum of complex and contagious diseases, according to the scientists. Developmental abnormalities are known to cause various birth defects in heart formation, few types of cancers such as brain tumours and fatal neuro- degenerative diseases.

Dr Utpal Bhadra of CCMB said, though a long way to go, taking into account the intricate role, which RNAI plays during the development of an organism, it may be possible to think of approaches, which could help in correcting the developmental defects at a very early stage.

In a research paper which was recently published in 'Cell' by a team of CCMB scientists lead by Dr Utpal Bhadra and Manika Pal Bhadra from IICT presented a new, path-breaking example of how the RNAi machinery contributes to the nuclear organization with a consequence of gene expression. The team used the genetically developed model organism, fruit fly for understanding the role of RNAi.

The findings suggested that the new mechanism of RNAi machinery not only influences the regulation of a specific gene but also helps in bringing the genes from different chromosomes together promoting higher-order nuclear organization which is essential for the development and maintenance of the organism.