ANTISENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES - A NOVEL THER APEUTIC APPROACH

The use of antisense oligonucleotides as therapeutic agents has genera ted considerable enthusiasm in the research and medical community. Oli gonucleotides inhibit gene expression by binding to their target nucle ic acid with high specificity and selectivity. The field of antisense technology has progressed enormously. Major progress has been accompli shed in the synthesis and manufacturing of modified oligonucleotides. Numerous studies have demonstrated the ability of antisense oligonucle otides to modulate gene expression, in such diverse fields as infectio us diseases, cancer, and inflammation. More than a dozen of clinical t rials using antisense oligonucleotides have been initiated during the last three years or so. The insights gained through these ongoing clin ical trials has opened the pathway to the design of more advanced chem istries which have improved safety profile and efficacy.