Gene silencing with STAT6 specific siRNAs blocks eotaxin release in IL-4/TNFalpha stimulated human epithelial cells.

Small interfering RNAs have evolved as effective tools for the study of gene functions. Here, we demonstrate the use of different siRNAs for the specific knock down of the STAT6 transcription regulator and the complete silencing of the downstream signaling pathway. The knock down of STAT6 resulted in a complete loss of STAT6 specific DNA binding activity and blocked the release of eotaxin-3 in human epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) stimulated with IL-4 and TNFalpha with no signs of unspecific gene silencing. Other signaling pathways like the EGF stimulated release of IL-8 were still active in BEAS-2B cells treated with STAT6 specific siRNAs, demonstrating the specificity of these molecules.