RNA interference: a promising approach to antiviral therapy?

RNA interference (RNAi) has developed into a powerful tool for probing gene function. Recently, several reports have demonstrated the use of RNAi for attenuation of viral infection and replication in cultured cells. Furthermore, RNAi has been shown to suppress gene expression in adult animals. Although these results suggest that RNAi might become a novel therapeutic approach, significant hurdles must still be overcome before RNAi can be exploited in the fight against human disease.