The evolution of RNAi technologies in the drug discovery business

In the past decade, the pharmaceutical industry has exploited the naturally occurring cellular RNAi pathway to enhance drug discovery research. The RNAi pathway, triggered by dsRNA, selectively, although not always specifically, degrades mRNA leading to substantial decreases in post-transcriptional gene expression. Researchers have capitalized on this intrinsic pathway by synthesizing RNAi reagents to modify the expression of any desired gene. This review discusses how RNAi has contributed to the drug discovery process and the future possibilities of using RNAi in drug discovery and as a therapeutic modality itself.