RNAi Europe will take place 18-19 October and has been organised by Select Conferences.
Prof Mello of the University of Massachusetts is considered the co-discoverer of RNAi by virtue of his seminal paper with Andrew Fire, published in Nature in 1998, which showed that double-stranded RNA molecules were remarkably potent inhibitors of a targeted gene in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. He has just been named an advisor to drug discovery technology firm Invitrogen.
RNAi was named the "Breakthrough of the Year" for 2002 by Science magazine, and excitement within the scientific community has built for two reasons. First, with the sequencing of the human genome, RNAi is a tool that can be used to rapidly yield an idea of the function of each of our genes.
Secondly, as the potency of RNAi-based therapeutics are estimated as being 100 to 1000-fold more potent than antisense, meaning small amounts of RNAi inducers can very effectively silence genes. This should not only simplify delivery, but also may mean that even modestly effective ways of getting RNAi-based medicines into targeted cells may yield therapeutic benefits while potentially limiting any negative side effects.
Other speakers at the conference are taken from companies such as Pfizer, Invitrogen, Qiagen, Ambion and Sirna Therapeutics.
For more information on the conference, contact Richard Sampson.