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Journal article
Rational Design of Chimeric Antisense Oligonucleotides on a Mixed PO–PS Backbone for Splice-Switching Applications
Biomolecules (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.14(7), 883
2024
Abstract
Synthetic antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are emerging as an attractive platform to treat various diseases. By specifically binding to a target mRNA transcript through Watson–Crick base pairing, ASOs can alter gene expression in a desirable fashion to either rescue loss of function or downregulate pathogenic protein expression. To be clinically relevant, ASOs are generally synthesized using modified analogs to enhance resistance to enzymatic degradation and pharmacokinetic and dynamic properties. Phosphorothioate (PS) belongs to the first generation of modified analogs and has played a vital role in the majority of approved ASO drugs, mainly based on the RNase H mechanism. In contrast to RNase H-dependent ASOs that bind and cleave target mature mRNA, splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) mainly bind and alter precursor mRNA splicing in the cell nucleus. To date, only one approved SSO (Nusinersen) possesses a PS backbone. Typically, the synthesis of PS oligonucleotides generates two types of stereoisomers that could potentially impact the ASO’s pharmaco-properties. This can be limited by introducing the naturally occurring phosphodiester (PO) linkage to the ASO sequence. In this study, towards fine-tuning the current strategy in designing SSOs, we reported the design, synthesis, and evaluation of several stereo-random SSOs on a mixed PO–PS backbone for their binding affinity, biological potency, and nuclease stability. Based on the results, we propose that a combination of PO and PS linkages could represent a promising approach toward limiting undesirable stereoisomers while not largely compromising the efficacy of SSOs.
Details
- Title
- Rational Design of Chimeric Antisense Oligonucleotides on a Mixed PO–PS Backbone for Splice-Switching Applications
- Authors/Creators
- Bao T. Le - Murdoch University, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative TherapeuticsSuxiang ChenRakesh N. Veedu - Murdoch University, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics
- Publication Details
- Biomolecules (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.14(7), 883
- Publisher
- MDPI
- Identifiers
- 991005690070007891
- Copyright
- © 2024 by the authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 2 Chemistry
- 2.170 Nucleic Acids Chemistry
- 2.170.988 Oligonucleotide Modifications
- Web Of Science research areas
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
- ESI research areas
- Biology & Biochemistry