Applications
By targeting the ZF-TF towards a specific DNA sequence and attaching the necessary effector domain, it is possible to downregulate or upregulate the expression of the gene(s) in question while using the same DNA-binding domain. The expression of a gene can also be downregulated by blocking elongation by RNA polymerase (without the need for an effector domain) in the coding region or alternatively, RNA itself can also be targeted. Besides the obvious development of tools for the research of gene function, engineered ZF-TFs have enormous therapeutic potential including correction of abnormal gene expression profiles (e.g. erbB-2 overexpression in human adenocarcinomas and anti-retrovirals (e.g. HIV-1).
Read more about this topic: Zinc Finger Protein Transcription Factor