| abstract |
It is intended to provide a method of inhibiting the expression of a Huntington gene by using a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA); a Huntington gene expression inhibitor to be used in the inhibition of the expression of a Huntington gene as described above; and a drug for preventing and/or treating Huntington’s disease. Targeting to a specific mRNA sequence located in a region in the upstream vicinity of the CAG repeat of an HD gene of Huntington’s disease, the expression of the Huntington gene is inhibited with the use of a dsRNA that is homologous with this sequence. In this method, use can be effectively made of a short siRNA (short double-stranded RNA) of about 21 to 23 bp as the dsRNA homologous to the RNA-specific sequence located in a region in the upstream vicinity of the CAG repeat. Huntington’s disease can be prevented and/or treated by administering or transferring the above-described dsRNA into a living mammalian body or a vital cell as a Huntington gene expression inhibitor or a preventive and/or a remedy for Huntington’s disease. |