Clinical Trials of Functional Nucleic Acids

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Traykovska ◽  
Sjoerd Miedema ◽  
Robert Penchovsky
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Nucleic Acid Therapeutics ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
Functional Nucleic Acids ◽  
Administration Methods

This chapter describes how functional nucleic acids, such as aptamers, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering (si) RNAs, and ribozymes are considered by some researchers as valuable tools to develop therapeutic agents. They have not been particularly fast in reaching the market as medicines, due to endogenous barriers to extracellular trafficking and cellular uptake of nucleic acids and their inherent instability when applied in vivo. However, research carried out by the nucleic acid engineering community and pharmaceutical companies to circumvent these obstacles has led to the approval of a few aptamers and ASOs as drugs. Nucleic acid therapeutics are usually administered locally to diseased tissue. The drug candidates currently in clinical trials commonly use the same administration methods as previously licensed nucleic acid therapeutics. These administration techniques carry their own safety risks and advantages. In this article, the present state is discussed and prospective options for the use ASOs and aptamers as drugs are listed.

Towards Safe Nanoparticle Technologies for Nucleic Acid Therapeutics

2008 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D Miller
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Imperial College ◽  
Nucleic Acid Therapeutics ◽  
Animal Models Of Disease ◽  
Efficient Delivery ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Models Of Disease ◽  
Functional Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acid therapeutics (or gene therapy) has to date failed to deliver on promise but rapid improvements in the understanding and use of delivery technologies should reverse this situation. In this review of work performed in and in collaboration with the Imperial College Genetic Therapies Centre, progress towards safe nanoparticles for efficient delivery of functional nucleic acids in vivo is described. The intention is to demonstrate the fruits of a journey from the results of initial studies in animal models of disease that suggested that so much should be possible so quickly, to the realization that new technologies are rarely successful so quickly, through to developments in the present day that appear to be approaching the preclinical/clinical threshold with realism but measured confidence. New chemistry is central to the design and formulation of safe nanotechnologies. Chemistry should have a central role to play in ensuring that nucleic acid therapeutics truly live up to their potential for therapy and cure, none more so than in the derivation of newer and better therapies for cancers.

scholarly journals Therapeutic Effectiveness and Safety of Repurposing Drugs for the Treatment of COVID-19: Position Standing in 2021

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safaet Alam ◽  
Taslima Binte Kamal ◽  
Md. Moklesur Rahman Sarker ◽  
Jin-Rong Zhou ◽  
S. M. Abdur Rahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Meta Analyses

COVID-19, transmitted by SARS-CoV-2, is one of the most serious pandemic situations in the history of mankind, and has already infected a huge population across the globe. This horrendously contagious viral outbreak was first identified in China and within a very short time it affected the world's health, transport, economic, and academic sectors. Despite the recent approval of a few anti-COVID-19 vaccines, their unavailability and insufficiency along with the lack of other potential therapeutic options are continuing to worsen the situation, with valuable lives continuing to be lost. In this situation, researchers across the globe are focusing on repurposing prospective drugs and prophylaxis such as favipiravir, remdesivir, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, lopinavir-ritonavir, azithromycin, doxycycline, ACEIs/ARBs, rivaroxaban, and protease inhibitors, which were preliminarily based on in vitro and in vivo pharmacological and toxicological study reports followed by clinical applications. Based on available preliminary data derived from limited clinical trials, the US National Institute of Health (NIH) and USFDA also recommended a few drugs to be repurposed i.e., hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, and favipiravir. However, World Health Organization later recommended against the use of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, and lopinavir/ritonavir in the treatment of COVID-19 infections. Combining basic knowledge of viral pathogenesis and pharmacodynamics of drug molecules as well as in silico approaches, many drug candidates have been investigated in clinical trials, some of which have been proven to be partially effective against COVID-19, and many of the other drugs are currently under extensive screening. The repurposing of prospective drug candidates from different stages of evaluation can be a handy wellspring in COVID-19 management and treatment along with approved anti-COVID-19 vaccines. This review article combined the information from completed clinical trials, case series, cohort studies, meta-analyses, and retrospective studies to focus on the current status of repurposing drugs in 2021.

Advances in functional nucleic acid based paper sensors

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (16) ◽  
pp. 3213-3230
Author(s):  
Rudi Liu ◽  
Erin M. McConnell ◽  
Jiuxing Li ◽  
Yingfu Li
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Dna Aptamers ◽  
Extensive Review ◽  
Recognition Elements ◽  
Functional Nucleic Acids

This article provides an extensive review of paper-based sensors that utilize functional nucleic acids, particularly DNA aptamers and DNAzymes, as recognition elements.

scholarly journals Barcoding chemical modifications into nucleic acids improves drug stability in vivo

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (44) ◽  
pp. 7197-7203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cory D. Sago ◽  
Sujay Kalathoor ◽  
Jordan P. Fitzgerald ◽  
Gwyneth N. Lando ◽  
Naima Djeddar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Drug Stability ◽  
Chemical Modifications

The efficacy of nucleic acid therapies can be limited by unwanted degradation.

scholarly journals Modified Nucleic Acids: Expanding the Capabilities of Functional Oligonucleotides

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (20) ◽  
pp. 4659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Ochoa ◽  
Valeria T. Milam
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Chemical Structure ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Physiochemical Properties ◽  
Phosphate Backbone ◽  
Modified Nucleic Acids ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Diagnostic Applications

In the last three decades, oligonucleotides have been extensively investigated as probes, molecular ligands and even catalysts within therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The narrow chemical repertoire of natural nucleic acids, however, imposes restrictions on the functional scope of oligonucleotides. Initial efforts to overcome this deficiency in chemical diversity included conservative modifications to the sugar-phosphate backbone or the pendant base groups and resulted in enhanced in vivo performance. More importantly, later work involving other modifications led to the realization of new functional characteristics beyond initial intended therapeutic and diagnostic prospects. These results have inspired the exploration of increasingly exotic chemistries highly divergent from the canonical nucleic acid chemical structure that possess unnatural physiochemical properties. In this review, the authors highlight recent developments in modified oligonucleotides and the thrust towards designing novel nucleic acid-based ligands and catalysts with specifically engineered functions inaccessible to natural oligonucleotides.

The reaction of the psoralens with deoxyribonucleic acid

1984 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Hearst ◽  
Stephen T. Isaacs ◽  
David Kanne ◽  
Henry Rapoport ◽  
Kenneth Straub
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Chemical Modification ◽  
Deoxyribonucleic Acid ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
Cross Links ◽  
High Concentrations

Psoralen photochemistry is specific for nucleic acids and is better understood at the molecular level than are all other methods of chemical modification of nucleic acids. These compounds are used both for in vivo structure analysis and for photochemotherapy since they easily penetrate both cells and virus particles. Apparently, natural selection has selected for membrane and virus penetrability during the evolution of these natural products. Most cells are unaffected by relatively high concentrations of psoralens in the absence of ultraviolet light, and the metabolites of the psoralens have thus far not created a problem. Finally, psoralens form both monoadduct and cross-links in nucleic acid helices, the yield of each being easily controlled by the conditions used during the photochemistry.

Hydroxyproline-Based DNA Mimics: A Review on Synthesis and Properties

2006 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 929-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir A. Efimov ◽  
Oksana G. Chakhmakhcheva
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Phosphonic Acid ◽  
Peptide Nucleic Acids ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Physicochemical And Biological Properties

With the aim to improve physicochemical and biological properties of natural oligonucleotides, many types of DNA analogues and mimics are designed on the basis of hydroxyproline and its derivatives, and their properties are evaluated. Among them, two types of DNA mimics representing hetero-oligomers constructed from alternating monomers of phosphono peptide nucleic acids and monomers on the base of trans-1-acetyl-4-hydroxy-L-proline (HypNA-pPNAs) and oligomers constructed from monomers containing (2S,4R)-1-acetyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidine-2-phosphonic acid backbone (pHypNAs) are of particular interest. In a set of in vitro and in vivo assays, it was shown that HypNA-pPNAs and pHypNAs demonstrated a high potential for the use in nucleic acid based diagnostics, isolation of nucleic acids and antisense experiments. A review with 53 references.

scholarly journals Exploring miR-9 Involvement in Ciona intestinalis Neural Development Using Peptide Nucleic Acids

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2001
Author(s):  
Silvia Mercurio ◽  
Silvia Cauteruccio ◽  
Raoul Manenti ◽  
Simona Candiani ◽  
Giorgio Scarì ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Neural Development ◽  
Peptide Nucleic Acids ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Ciona Intestinalis ◽  
Transcriptional Level ◽  
Regulate Gene Expression

The microRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and can be involved in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. They are emerging as possible targets for antisense-based therapy, even though the in vivo stability of miRNA analogues is still questioned. We tested the ability of peptide nucleic acids, a novel class of nucleic acid mimics, to downregulate miR-9 in vivo in an invertebrate model organism, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, by microinjection of antisense molecules in the eggs. It is known that miR-9 is a well-conserved microRNA in bilaterians and we found that it is expressed in epidermal sensory neurons of the tail in the larva of C. intestinalis. Larvae developed from injected eggs showed a reduced differentiation of tail neurons, confirming the possibility to use peptide nucleic acid PNA to downregulate miRNA in a whole organism. By identifying putative targets of miR-9, we discuss the role of this miRNA in the development of the peripheral nervous system of ascidians.

Nucleic Acid Therapeutics in Huntington’s Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuljit Singh ◽  
Ipsita Roy
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Protein Aggregation ◽  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Antisense Oligonucleotides ◽  
Protein Misfolding ◽  
Mutant Protein ◽  
Mutant Huntingtin ◽  
Nucleic Acid Therapeutics ◽  
Delivery Techniques

Background: Protein misfolding is a critical factor in the progression of a large number of neurodegenerative diseases. The incorrectly folded protein is prone to aggregation, leading to aberrant interaction with other cellular proteins, elevated oxidative stress, impaired cellular machinery, finally resulting in cell death. Due to its monogenic origin, Huntington’s disease (HD) is a poster child of protein misfolding neurodegenerative disorders. The presence of neuronal inclusions of mutant huntingtin N-terminal fragments, mainly in the cortex and striatum, is a neuropathological hallmark of HD. Inhibition of protein misfolding and aggregation has been attempted using a variety of conventional protein stabilizers. Methods: This review describes how, in recent times, nucleic acid therapeutics has emerged as a selective tool to downregulate the aberrant transcript and reduce expression of mutant huntingtin, thereby alleviating protein aggregation. Different strategies of use of nucleic acids, including antisense oligonucleotides, short inhibitory RNA sequences and aptamers have been discussed. The following patent databases were consulted: European Patent Office (EPO), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Patent scope Search International and National Patent Collections (WIPO) and Google Patents. Results: Tools such as RNA interference (RNAi) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are potential therapeutic agents which target the post-transcriptional step, accelerating mRNA degradation and inhibiting the production of the mutant protein. These nucleic acid sequences not only target the elongated CAG triplet repeat translating to an expanded polyglutamine tract in the mutant protein, but have also been used to target single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the mutant allele. The therapeutic sequences have been investigated in a number of cells and animal models of HD. One antisense sequence, with desirable safety properties, has recently shown downregulation of huntingtin protein in a limited clinical trial. RNA aptamers have also shown promising results in inhibiting protein aggregation in a yeast model of HD. Novel drug delivery techniques have been employed to overcome the blood brain barrier for the use of these therapeutic sequences. Conclusion: The selectivity and specificity imparted by nucleic acids, along with novel delivery techniques, make them hopeful candidates for the development of a curative strategy for HD.

Optimizing glucokinase activator binding kinetics to lower in vivo hypoglycemia risk

MedChemComm ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 802-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris A. Borzilleri ◽  
Jeffrey A. Pfefferkorn ◽  
Angel Guzman-Perez ◽  
Shenping Liu ◽  
Xiayang Qiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Binding Kinetics ◽  
Glucokinase Activator ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Promising Strategy

GK activators represent a promising strategy for treatment of T2DM; however, drug candidates have failed in clinical trials due to narrow TI between efficacy and hypoglycemia.

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