Twist induces reversal of myotube formation.

Mammals possess reduced ability to regenerate lost tissue, compared with other vertebrates, which can regenerate through differentiation of precursor cells or de-differentiation. Mammalian multinucleated myotube formation is a differentiation process, which arises from the fusion of mononucleated myoblasts and is thought to be an irreversible process toward muscle formation. By overexpressing the Twist gene in terminally differentiated myotubes, we managed to induce reversal of cell differentiation.

Restoration of protein synthesis in pancreatic cancer cells by trans-splicing ribozymes.

This report describes the use of trans-splicing ribozymes to restore p16 protein synthesis in pancreatic cancer cells. A group I intron ribozyme was designed to trans-splice the 2 base-deleted p16 transcripts with the wild-type sequence in a pancreatic cancer cell line, which originally produced no p16. Following transfection of the ribozyme construct in AsPC-1 cells, mutant p16 mRNA molecules were repaired and p16 protein synthesis restored.

DNazyme-mediated cleavage of Twist transcripts and increase in cellular apoptosis.

DNazymes is a group of catalytic nucleic acids that can be designed to cleave target mRNA molecules in a base-specific way. Twist is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that is involved in the regulation of cellular differentiation and apoptosis. Moreover, it was shown to function in skull development and cause craniosynostosis.