CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company presented new pre-clinical research today at the 8th International M. Judah Folkman Conference, New Frontiers in Therapeutic Development, held October 8-9, 2010 in Cambridge, Mass, highlighting significant advances in the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics. The new research demonstrated effective silencing of target genes in distinct cell types and tissues beyond the liver with systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics. In particular, novel lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) were designed in collaboration with the laboratory of Daniel Anderson, Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to deliver siRNAs to the vascular endothelium, the cells that line blood vessels throughout the body. RNAi-mediated target gene silencing was observed in endothelial cells across a broad range of tissues, with duration of action lasting for over two months after a single dose. Delivery to the vascular endothelium creates new RNAi therapeutic approaches in disease areas including atherosclerosis, diabetes, inflammation, and cancer. Additional new results were also presented regarding delivery of RNAi therapeutics to immune cells.
