Discovery and development of the G-rich oligonucleotide AS1411 as a novel treatment for cancer.

ABSTRACT: Certain guanine-rich (G-rich) DNA and RNA molecules can associate intermolecularly or intramolecularly to form four stranded or "quadruplex" structures, which have unusual biophysical and biological properties. Several synthetic G-rich quadruplex-forming oligodeoxynucleotides have recently been investigated as therapeutic agents for various human diseases. We refer to these biologically active G-rich oligonucleotides as aptamers because their activities arise from binding to protein targets via shape-specific recognition (analogous to antibody-antigen binding). As therapeutic agents, the G-rich aptamers may have some advantages over monoclonal antibodies and other oligonucleotide-based approaches. For example, quadruplex oligonucleotides are non-immunogenic, heat stable and they have incre

SUBMITTER: Bates PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2716701 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature