Effects of DNAzymes and siRNA targeting AKT1 on the growth of human T leukemic cells.

AKT1 is a member of the serine/threoine AGC protein kinase family involved in cancer's metabolism, growth, proliferation, and survival. It is a potential target for cancer gene therapy. In the present study, we used DNAzyme and siRNA technology to inhibit AKT1 expression and evaluated the effects of DNAzymes and siRNA as therapeutic agents to treat leukemic cells. We designed two AKT1 specific DNAzymes (DRz1 and DRz2) and siRNA to test their effects on the apoptosis of leukemic cells. Here, we showed that DRz1 could down-regulate the expression of AKT1 in both mRNA and protein levels, hence significantly inhibiting growth and inducing apoptosis of Jurkat cells. These results provide a significant insight into the potential anticarcinogenic action of DNAzyme against AKT1 which might be used as a valuable therapy to leukemia.