Researchers in Denmark and India have prepared synthetic DNA analogues known as oligonucleotides that have the potential for use as antisense drugs.

Antisense drugs work by targeting DNA or RNA, and binding to complementary strands. This action prevents disease-related proteins being produced, resulting in therapeutic benefits to patients. In future, antisense drugs could be used to treat many diseases, including cancer.

Jesper Wengel, from the University of Southern Denmark, and his colleagues investigated the effect of incorporating molecules called 2'-amino DNAs into oligonucleotides. In doing so they discovered that the resulting oligonucleotides had a relatively rare but desirable ability to target DNA efficiently, but not RNA. Wengel also found that if one of the oligonucleotides was locked in its non-native conformation it specifically targeted RNA.

Wengel hopes his work will 'stimulate researchers to follow new directions in antisense medicinal chemistry, thus hopefully leading to improved prospects for this class of medicine'.

Katie Daniel