Key points from article :
Scientists from IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute developed a new method to silence genes for long periods.
They focused on genes that control cholesterol by editing them with "molecular tools" called engineered transcriptional repressors.
In mice, these repressors targeted a specific gene (Pcsk9) that keeps cholesterol levels in check.
The technique involved delivering instructions for making the repressors using fatty particles.
This approach successfully lowered cholesterol in mice for nearly a year, even after their livers were regenerated.
The study, published in Nature, suggests this method could lead to new therapies without harming DNA.
