Overview: Oncologic, Endocrine & Metabolic Antisense oligonucleotides for the treatment of cancer

Abstract

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents which either block enzymatic pathways or randomly interact with DNA irrespective of the cell phenotype, lack specificity for killing neoplastic cells. Growing evidence indicates that antisense oligodeoxynucleotides can be used to control cancer cell growth by specific targeting of cancer-specific genes. The mRNAs of several oncogenes, growth factors or cytokines have been chosen as targets for antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Discrimination between the protooncogene and the oncogene can be achieved in the case of ras oncogene, of which activation occurs through point mutation in the coding sequence. Targeting at the mRNA of the RIα subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, the positive intracellular regulator of cell growth, with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide has also shown arrest of cancer cell growth. Synthetic oligonucleotides, thus, provide the potential biological tool for cancer chemotherapy.