is a key regulator of GalNAc-conjugated siRNA-induced silencing in Hep3B cells.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have developed rapidly in recent years, despite the challenges associated with delivery of large, highly charged nucleic acids. Delivery of siRNA therapeutics to the liver has been established, with conjugation of siRNA to N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) providing durable gene knockdown in hepatocytes following subcutaneous injection. GalNAc binds the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) that is highly expressed on hepatocytes and exploits this scavenger receptor to deliver siRNA across the plasma membrane by endocytosis.

Identification and Optimization of a Minor Allele-Specific siRNA to Prevent PNPLA3 I148M-Driven Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Human genome wide association studies confirm the association of the rs738409 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene encoding protein patatin like phospholipase domain containing 3 () with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); the presence of the resulting mutant PNPLA3 I148M protein is a driver of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). While -deficient mice do not display an adverse phenotype, the safety of knocking down endogenous wild type in humans remains unknown. To expand the scope of a potential targeted NAFLD therapeutic to both homozygous and heterozygous rs738409 populations, we sought to identify a minor allele-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA).

In Vitro and in Vivo Analyses Reveal Profound Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor 16 as a Metabolic Regulator.

The discovery of brown adipose tissue (BAT) as a key regulator of energy expenditure has sparked interest in identifying novel soluble factors capable of activating inducible BAT (iBAT) to combat obesity. Using a high content cell-based screen, we identified fibroblast growth factor 16 (FGF16) as a potent inducer of several physical and transcriptional characteristics analogous to those of both "classical" BAT and iBAT. Overexpression of Fgf16 in vivo recapitulated several of our in vitro findings, specifically the significant induction of the Ucp1 gene and UCP1 protein expression in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), a common site for emergent active iBAT.