Gene-Silencing Technique Targets Scarring

100 percent—it continues to have some effect, but it's not excessive," he says.

RXi has shown that its compound can reduce the amount of CTGF in cultured human cells. Cauwenbergh says that the compound has a beneficial effect on scarring in rats, and that the results of a monkey study should be available in the coming weeks. In theory, the treatment could also benefit any patient hoping to avoid a large normal scar, say from a surgical incision, but RXi has not yet tested this idea.

CTGF already has the attention of Pfizer, which recently acquired a company developing another gene-silencing technique to reduce its effects. However, there are no proven drugs to prevent scar formation, and while people who develop excessive scarring can have the scars surgically removed, they risk another perhaps larger scar forming in its place. "The number of people who will be able to undergo scar remodeling surgery will go up dramatically if this drug works," says Cauwenbergh.

RNA, RNAi, RXi Pharmaceuticals, scarring

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