1
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Hasturk B, Eren F. A therapeutic approach for the hepatitis C virus: in silico design of an antisense oligonucleotide-based candidate capsid inhibitor. Virus Genes 2024; 60:446-454. [PMID: 39083128 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-024-02088-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs have been shown to effectively reduce viral load and cure a high proportion of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. However, costs associated with the course of therapy and any possible adverse effects should also be considered. It is important to acknowledge, moreover, that certain groups may not be eligible for treatment. Given that there is currently no approved vaccine for HCV infection, the need for an effective, safe, and accessible treatment remains a crucial priority. The aim of this study is to develop an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based therapeutic drug that can inhibit HCV capsid. After analyzing 817 HCV capsid protein mRNA sequences using the NCBI Virus Data Portal, a conserved region of 7 nucleotides (nt) was identified in all genotypes (1-7). However, because of its high GC% content, this region is not a suitable target for ASO. Conversely, the other highly conserved region, which is only 8 nt long, was preserved in 801 datasets after removing missing and differing sequence data. The candidate ASO was then investigated using computer simulations to assess its potential. Thus, it is possible that the ASO sequence consisting of 8 nt could be a viable therapeutic target for the inhibition of HCV capsid. Furthermore, the 7 nt sequence, which is conserved in all datasets, may be targeted using alternative strategies in lieu of ASO-based targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Hasturk
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Institute of Health Sciences, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatih Eren
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Liver Research Unit, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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2
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Caporali A, Anwar M, Devaux Y, Katare R, Martelli F, Srivastava PK, Pedrazzini T, Emanueli C. Non-coding RNAs as therapeutic targets and biomarkers in ischaemic heart disease. Nat Rev Cardiol 2024; 21:556-573. [PMID: 38499868 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-024-01001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The adult heart is a complex, multicellular organ that is subjected to a series of regulatory stimuli and circuits and has poor reparative potential. Despite progress in our understanding of disease mechanisms and in the quality of health care, ischaemic heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, owing to adverse cardiac remodelling, leading to ischaemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Therapeutic targets are urgently required for the protection and repair of the ischaemic heart. Moreover, personalized clinical biomarkers are necessary for clinical diagnosis, medical management and to inform the individual response to treatment. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) deeply influence cardiovascular functions and contribute to communication between cells in the cardiac microenvironment and between the heart and other organs. As such, ncRNAs are candidates for translation into clinical practice. However, ncRNA biology has not yet been completely deciphered, given that classes and modes of action have emerged only in the past 5 years. In this Review, we discuss the latest discoveries from basic research on ncRNAs and highlight both the clinical value and the challenges underscoring the translation of these molecules as biomarkers and therapeutic regulators of the processes contributing to the initiation, progression and potentially the prevention or resolution of ischaemic heart disease and heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Caporali
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maryam Anwar
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yvan Devaux
- Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Precision Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxemburg
| | - Rajesh Katare
- Department of Physiology, HeartOtago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Fabio Martelli
- Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Thierry Pedrazzini
- Experimental Cardiology Unit, Division of Cardiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Lausanne Medical School, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Costanza Emanueli
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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3
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Vandermeulen L, Geric I, Fumagalli L, Kreir M, Lu A, Nonneman A, Premereur J, Wolfs L, Policarpo R, Fattorelli N, De Bondt A, Van Den Wyngaert I, Asselbergh B, Fiers M, De Strooper B, d'Ydewalle C, Mancuso R. Regulation of human microglial gene expression and function via RNAase-H active antisense oligonucleotides in vivo in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:37. [PMID: 38654375 PMCID: PMC11040766 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00725-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microglia play important roles in maintaining brain homeostasis and neurodegeneration. The discovery of genetic variants in genes predominately or exclusively expressed in myeloid cells, such as Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), as the strongest risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) highlights the importance of microglial biology in the brain. The sequence, structure and function of several microglial proteins are poorly conserved across species, which has hampered the development of strategies aiming to modulate the expression of specific microglial genes. One way to target APOE and TREM2 is to modulate their expression using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). METHODS In this study, we identified, produced, and tested novel, selective and potent ASOs for human APOE and TREM2. We used a combination of in vitro iPSC-microglia models, as well as microglial xenotransplanted mice to provide proof of activity in human microglial in vivo. RESULTS We proved their efficacy in human iPSC microglia in vitro, as well as their pharmacological activity in vivo in a xenografted microglia model. We demonstrate ASOs targeting human microglia can modify their transcriptional profile and their response to amyloid-β plaques in vivo in a model of AD. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first proof-of-concept that human microglial can be modulated using ASOs in a dose-dependent manner to manipulate microglia phenotypes and response to neurodegeneration in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Vandermeulen
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ivana Geric
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- MIND Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mohamed Kreir
- Preclinical Development & Safety, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ashley Lu
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Annelies Nonneman
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jessie Premereur
- MIND Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leen Wolfs
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Rafaela Policarpo
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Nicola Fattorelli
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - An De Bondt
- Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ilse Van Den Wyngaert
- Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Bob Asselbergh
- Neuromics Support Facility, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Neuromics Support Facility, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mark Fiers
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Constantin d'Ydewalle
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | - Renzo Mancuso
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
- MIND Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
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4
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Obexer R, Nassir M, Moody ER, Baran PS, Lovelock SL. Modern approaches to therapeutic oligonucleotide manufacturing. Science 2024; 384:eadl4015. [PMID: 38603508 DOI: 10.1126/science.adl4015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic oligonucleotides are a powerful drug modality with the potential to treat many diseases. The rapidly growing number of therapies that have been approved and that are in advanced clinical trials will place unprecedented demands on our capacity to manufacture oligonucleotides at scale. Existing methods based on solid-phase phosphoramidite chemistry are limited by their scalability and sustainability, and new approaches are urgently needed to deliver the multiton quantities of oligonucleotides that are required for therapeutic applications. The chemistry community has risen to the challenge by rethinking strategies for oligonucleotide production. Advances in chemical synthesis, biocatalysis, and process engineering technologies are leading to increasingly efficient and selective routes to oligonucleotide sequences. We review these developments, along with remaining challenges and opportunities for innovations that will allow the sustainable manufacture of diverse oligonucleotide products.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Obexer
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - M Nassir
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - E R Moody
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - P S Baran
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - S L Lovelock
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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5
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Shi Y, Zhen X, Zhang Y, Li Y, Koo S, Saiding Q, Kong N, Liu G, Chen W, Tao W. Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:929-1033. [PMID: 38284616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RNA-based therapies have catalyzed a revolutionary transformation in the biomedical landscape, offering unprecedented potential in disease prevention and treatment. However, despite their remarkable achievements, these therapies encounter substantial challenges including low stability, susceptibility to degradation by nucleases, and a prominent negative charge, thereby hindering further development. Chemically modified platforms have emerged as a strategic innovation, focusing on precise alterations either on the RNA moieties or their associated delivery vectors. This comprehensive review delves into these platforms, underscoring their significance in augmenting the performance and translational prospects of RNA-based therapeutics. It encompasses an in-depth analysis of various chemically modified delivery platforms that have been instrumental in propelling RNA therapeutics toward clinical utility. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the rationale behind diverse chemical modification techniques aiming at optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of RNA molecules, thereby facilitating robust disease management. Recent empirical studies corroborating the efficacy enhancement of RNA therapeutics through chemical modifications are highlighted. Conclusively, we offer profound insights into the transformative impact of chemical modifications on RNA drugs and delineates prospective trajectories for their future development and clinical integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesi Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xueyan Zhen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yongjiang Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Seyoung Koo
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Na Kong
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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6
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Terada C, Oh K, Tsubaki R, Chan B, Aibara N, Ohyama K, Shibata MA, Wada T, Harada-Shiba M, Yamayoshi A, Yamamoto T. Dynamic and static control of the off-target interactions of antisense oligonucleotides using toehold chemistry. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7972. [PMID: 38042877 PMCID: PMC10693639 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Off-target interactions between antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) with state-of-the-art modifications and biological components still pose clinical safety liabilities. To mitigate a broad spectrum of off-target interactions and enhance the safety profile of ASO drugs, we here devise a nanoarchitecture named BRace On a THERapeutic aSo (BROTHERS or BRO), which is composed of a standard gapmer ASO paired with a partially complementary peptide nucleic acid (PNA) strand. We show that these non-canonical ASO/PNA hybrids have reduced non-specific protein-binding capacity. The optimization of the structural and thermodynamic characteristics of this duplex system enables the operation of an in vivo toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD) reaction, effectively reducing hybridization with RNA off-targets. The optimized BROs dramatically mitigate hepatotoxicity while maintaining the on-target knockdown activity of their parent ASOs in vivo. This technique not only introduces a BRO class of drugs that could have a transformative impact on the extrahepatic delivery of ASOs, but can also help uncover the toxicity mechanism of ASOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chisato Terada
- Department of Chemistry of Biofunctional Molecules, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- JSPS Research Fellow (DC1), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaho Oh
- Department of Chemistry of Biofunctional Molecules, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Tsubaki
- Department of Chemistry of Biofunctional Molecules, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Bun Chan
- Graduate School of Engineering, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Nozomi Aibara
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kaname Ohyama
- Department of Molecular Pathochemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masa-Aki Shibata
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Takatsuki, Japan
| | - Takehiko Wada
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Mariko Harada-Shiba
- Department of Molecular Innovation in Lipidology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita, Japan
- Cardiovascular Center, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Takatsuki, Japan
| | - Asako Yamayoshi
- Department of Chemistry of Biofunctional Molecules, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
- Department of Chemistry of Biofunctional Molecules, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
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7
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Canalis E, Mocarska M, Schilling L, Jafar-Nejad P, Carrer M. Antisense oligonucleotides targeting a NOTCH3 mutation in male mice ameliorate the cortical osteopenia of lateral meningocele syndrome. Bone 2023; 177:116898. [PMID: 37704069 PMCID: PMC10591917 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2023.116898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Lateral Meningocele Syndrome (LMS) is a monogenic disorder associated with NOTCH3 pathogenic variants that result in the stabilization of NOTCH3 and a gain-of-function. A mouse model (Notch3em1Ecan) harboring a 6691-TAATGA mutation in the Notch3 locus that results in a functional outcome analogous to LMS exhibits cancellous and cortical bone osteopenia. We tested Notch3 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) specific to the Notch36691-TAATGA mutation for their effects on Notch3 downregulation and on the osteopenia of Notch3em1Ecan mice. Twenty-four mouse Notch3 mutant ASOs were designed and tested for toxic effects in vivo, and 12 safe ASOs were tested for their impact on the downregulation of Notch36691-TAATGA and Notch3 mRNA in osteoblast cultures from Notch3em1Ecan mice. Three ASOs downregulated Notch3 mutant transcripts specifically and were tested in vivo for their effects on the bone microarchitecture of Notch3em1Ecan mice. All three ASOs were well tolerated. One of these ASOs had more consistent effects in vivo and was studied in detail. The Notch3 mutant ASO downregulated Notch3 mutant transcripts in osteoblasts and bone marrow stromal cells and had no effect on other Notch receptors. The subcutaneous administration of Notch3 mutant ASO at 50 mg/Kg decreased Notch36691-TAATGA mRNA in bone without apparent toxicity; microcomputed tomography demonstrated that the ASO ameliorated the cortical osteopenia of Notch3em1Ecan mice but not the cancellous bone osteopenia. In conclusion, a Notch3 ASO that downregulates Notch3 mutant expression specifically ameliorates the cortical osteopenia in Notch3em1Ecan mice. ASOs may become useful strategies in the management of monogenic disorders affecting the skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Canalis
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA; Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA; UConn Musculoskeletal Institute, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA.
| | - Magda Mocarska
- UConn Musculoskeletal Institute, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Lauren Schilling
- UConn Musculoskeletal Institute, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
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8
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Collotta D, Bertocchi I, Chiapello E, Collino M. Antisense oligonucleotides: a novel Frontier in pharmacological strategy. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1304342. [PMID: 38044945 PMCID: PMC10690781 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1304342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are short single stranded synthetic RNA or DNA molecules, whereas double-stranded RNA nucleotide sequences are called small interfering RNA (siRNA). ASOs bind to complementary nucleic acid sequences impacting the associated functions of the targeted nucleic acids. They represent an emerging class of drugs that, through a revolutionary mechanism of action, aim to directly regulate disease-causing genes and their variants, providing an alternative tool to traditional "protein-specific" therapies. The majority of the ASOs are designed to treat orphan genetic disorders that in most of the cases are seriously disabling and still lacking an adequate therapy. In order to translate ASOs into clinical success, constant technological advances have been instrumental in overcoming several pharmacological, toxicological and formulation limitations. Accordingly, chemical structures have been recently implemented and new bio-conjugation and nanocarriers formulation strategies explored. The aim of this work is to offer an overview of the antisense technology with a comparative analysis of the oligonucleotides approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Collotta
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - I. Bertocchi
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - E. Chiapello
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - M. Collino
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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9
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Pontarelli A, Wilds CJ. C5-Propynyl modified 2'-fluoroarabinonucleic acids form stable duplexes with RNA that are RNase H competent. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:7437-7446. [PMID: 37667655 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob01297b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The clinical success of the antisense approach for the treatment of genetic disorders is indisputably the result of chemical modifications along the oligonucleotide (ON) scaffold, which impart desirable properties including high RNA affinity, nuclease stability and improved drug delivery. While effective, many modifications are not capable of eliciting an RNase H response limiting their application in antisense systems. To contribute to the structural design and inventory of nucleoside analogues with favorable antisense properties, herein we describe the synthesis of C5-propynyl-2'-fluoroarabinonucleic acids (FANAP). Incorporation of individual and multiple uridine (FaraUP) and cytidine (FaraCP) inserts into ONs revealed, both stabilized duplexes formed with RNA. In contrast, these modifications demonstrated a negligible (FaraUP) or reduced (FaraCP) effect on DNA binding. Moreover, modified ONs containing these analogues supported E. coli RNase H cleavage of RNA with an altered cleavage pattern observed relative to controls. Moreover, a 2'-O-methoxyethyl (2'-O-MOE) gapmer with a FANAP core was able to elicit RNA cleavage at an increased rate compared to C5-propynyl-arabinonucleic acids (ANAP). Enzymatic hydrolysis of these gapmers was assessed with nuclease S1 digestion and revealed greater stability of ANAP compared to FANAP. These results suggest C5-propynyl ANA/FANA modifications demonstrate promising potential for the design of therapeutic ONs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Pontarelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Christopher J Wilds
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada.
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10
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Kawamoto Y, Wu Y, Takahashi Y, Takakura Y. Development of nucleic acid medicines based on chemical technology. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 199:114872. [PMID: 37244354 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics have attracted attention as an emerging modality that includes the modulation of genes and their binding proteins related to diseases, allowing us to take action on previously undruggable targets. Since the late 2010s, the number of oligonucleotide medicines approved for clinical uses has dramatically increased. Various chemistry-based technologies have been developed to improve the therapeutic properties of oligonucleotides, such as chemical modification, conjugation, and nanoparticle formation, which can increase nuclease resistance, enhance affinity and selectivity to target sites, suppress off-target effects, and improve pharmacokinetic properties. Similar strategies employing modified nucleobases and lipid nanoparticles have been used for developing coronavirus disease 2019 mRNA vaccines. In this review, we provide an overview of the development of chemistry-based technologies aimed at using nucleic acids for developing therapeutics over the past several decades, with a specific emphasis on the structural design and functionality of chemical modification strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Kawamoto
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - You Wu
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuki Takahashi
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Takakura
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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11
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Khorkova O, Stahl J, Joji A, Volmar CH, Zeier Z, Wahlestedt C. Long non-coding RNA-targeting therapeutics: discovery and development update. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1011-1029. [PMID: 37466388 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2236552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION lncRNAs are major players in regulatory networks orchestrating multiple cellular functions, such as 3D chromosomal interactions, epigenetic modifications, gene expression and others. Due to progress in the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics, lncRNAs potentially represent easily accessible therapeutic targets. AREAS COVERED Currently, significant efforts are directed at studies that can tap the enormous therapeutic potential of lncRNAs. This review describes recent developments in this field, particularly focusing on clinical applications. EXPERT OPINION Extensive druggable target range of lncRNA combined with high specificity and accelerated development process of nucleic acid-based therapeutics open new prospects for treatment in areas of extreme unmet medical need, such as genetic diseases, aggressive cancers, protein deficiencies, and subsets of common diseases caused by known mutations. Although currently wide acceptance of lncRNA-targeting nucleic acid-based therapeutics is impeded by the need for parenteral or direct-to-CNS administration, development of less invasive techniques and orally available/BBB-penetrant nucleic acid-based therapeutics is showing early successes. Recently, mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated clinical safety of all aspects of nucleic acid-based therapeutic technology, including multiple chemical modifications of nucleic acids and nanoparticle delivery. These trends position lncRNA-targeting drugs as significant players in the future of drug development, especially in the area of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Khorkova
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jack Stahl
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Aswathy Joji
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Claude-Henry Volmar
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Zane Zeier
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Claes Wahlestedt
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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12
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Goyenvalle A, Jimenez-Mallebrera C, van Roon W, Sewing S, Krieg AM, Arechavala-Gomeza V, Andersson P. Considerations in the Preclinical Assessment of the Safety of Antisense Oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:1-16. [PMID: 36579950 PMCID: PMC9940817 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2022.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleic acid therapeutics field has made tremendous progress in the past decades. Continuous advances in chemistry and design have led to many successful clinical applications, eliciting even more interest from researchers including both academic groups and drug development companies. Many preclinical studies in the field focus on improving the delivery of antisense oligonucleotide drugs (ONDs) and/or assessing their efficacy in target tissues, often neglecting the evaluation of toxicity, at least in early phases of development. A series of consensus recommendations regarding regulatory considerations and expectations have been generated by the Oligonucleotide Safety Working Group and the Japanese Research Working Group for the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use S6 and Related Issues (WGS6) in several white papers. However, safety aspects should also be kept in sight in earlier phases while screening and designing OND to avoid subsequent failure in the development phase. Experts and members of the network "DARTER," a COST Action funded by the Cooperation in Science and Technology of the EU, have utilized their collective experience working with OND, as well as their insights into OND-mediated toxicities, to generate a series of consensus recommendations to assess OND toxicity in early stages of preclinical research. In the past few years, several publications have described predictive assays, which can be used to assess OND-mediated toxicity in vitro or ex vivo to filter out potential toxic candidates before moving to in vivo phases of preclinical development, that is, animal toxicity studies. These assays also have the potential to provide translational insight since they allow a safety evaluation in human in vitro systems. Yet, small preliminary in vivo studies should also be considered to complement this early assessment. In this study, we summarize the state of the art and provide guidelines and recommendations on the different tests available for these early stage preclinical assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Goyenvalle
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, Versailles, France.,Address correspondence to: Aurélie Goyenvalle, PhD, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, Versailles 78000, France
| | - Cecilia Jimenez-Mallebrera
- Laboratorio de Investigación Aplicada en Enfermedades Neuromusculares, Unidad de Patología Neuromuscular, Servicio de Neuropediatría, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.,Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain.,Departamento de Genética, Microbiología y Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Willeke van Roon
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sabine Sewing
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arthur M. Krieg
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Virginia Arechavala-Gomeza
- Neuromuscular Disorders, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Patrik Andersson
- Safety Innovation, Safety Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Address correspondence to: Patrik Andersson, PhD, Safety Innovation, Safety Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, Mölndal, Gothenburg 431 83, Sweden
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13
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RNA-targeting strategies as a platform for ocular gene therapy. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 92:101110. [PMID: 35840489 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Genetic medicine is offering hope as new therapies are emerging for many previously untreatable diseases. The eye is at the forefront of these advances, as exemplified by the approval of Luxturna® by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) in 2017 for the treatment of one form of Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), an inherited blindness. Luxturna® was also the first in vivo human gene therapy to gain US FDA approval. Numerous gene therapy clinical trials are ongoing for other eye diseases, and novel delivery systems, discovery of new drug targets and emerging technologies are currently driving the field forward. Targeting RNA, in particular, is an attractive therapeutic strategy for genetic disease that may have safety advantages over alternative approaches by avoiding permanent changes in the genome. In this regard, antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) and RNA interference (RNAi) are the currently popular strategies for developing RNA-targeted therapeutics. Enthusiasm has been further fuelled by the emergence of clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR associated (Cas) systems that allow targeted manipulation of nucleic acids. RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas systems now provide a novel way to develop RNA-targeted therapeutics and may provide superior efficiency and specificity to existing technologies. In addition, RNA base editing technologies using CRISPR-Cas and other modalities also enable precise alteration of single nucleotides. In this review, we showcase advances made by RNA-targeting systems for ocular disease, discuss applications of ASO and RNAi technologies, highlight emerging CRISPR-Cas systems and consider the implications of RNA-targeting therapeutics in the development of future drugs to treat eye disease.
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14
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Therapeutic Strategies in Huntington’s Disease: From Genetic Defect to Gene Therapy. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081895. [PMID: 36009443 PMCID: PMC9405755 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the identification of an expanded CAG repeat on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene located on chromosome 1 as the genetic defect causing Huntington’s disease almost 30 years ago, currently approved therapies provide only limited symptomatic relief and do not influence the age of onset or disease progression rate. Research has identified various intricate pathogenic cascades which lead to neuronal degeneration, but therapies interfering with these mechanisms have been marked by many failures and remain to be validated. Exciting new opportunities are opened by the emerging techniques which target the mutant protein DNA and RNA, allowing for “gene editing”. Although some issues relating to “off-target” effects or immune-mediated side effects need to be solved, these strategies, combined with stem cell therapies and more traditional approaches targeting specific pathogenic cascades, such as excitotoxicity and bioavailability of neurotrophic factors, could lead to significant improvement of the outcomes of treated Huntington’s disease patients.
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15
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Yoshida T, Morihiro K, Naito Y, Mikami A, Kasahara Y, Inoue T, Obika S. Identification of nucleobase chemical modifications that reduce the hepatotoxicity of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:7224-7234. [PMID: 35801870 PMCID: PMC9303313 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, gapmer antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics are under clinical development for the treatment of various diseases, including previously intractable human disorders; however, they have the potential to induce hepatotoxicity. Although several groups have reported the reduced hepatotoxicity of gapmer ASOs following chemical modifications of sugar residues or internucleotide linkages, only few studies have described nucleobase modifications to reduce hepatotoxicity. In this study, we introduced single or multiple combinations of 17 nucleobase derivatives, including four novel derivatives, into hepatotoxic locked nucleic acid gapmer ASOs and examined their effects on hepatotoxicity. The results demonstrated successful identification of chemical modifications that strongly reduced the hepatotoxicity of gapmer ASOs. This approach expands the ability to design gapmer ASOs with optimal therapeutic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tokuyuki Yoshida
- Division of Molecular Target and Gene Therapy Products, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Morihiro
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Naito
- Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS), 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.,National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Atsushi Mikami
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuuya Kasahara
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takao Inoue
- Division of Molecular Target and Gene Therapy Products, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Obika
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
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16
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RNA modifications can affect RNase H1-mediated PS-ASO activity. MOLECULAR THERAPY - NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 28:814-828. [PMID: 35664704 PMCID: PMC9136273 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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17
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Synthesis of 4'-C-(aminoethyl)thymidine and 4'-C-[(N-methyl)aminoethyl]thymidine by a new synthetic route and evaluation of the properties of the DNAs containing the nucleoside analogs. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 60:116690. [PMID: 35259549 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A gapmer-type antisense oligonucleotide is an oligonucleotide therapeutic that targets pathogenic mRNA directly, and it is expected to be a next-generation therapeutic drug. In this study, we designed and synthesized 4'-C-[(N-methyl)aminoethyl]-thymidine (4'-MAE-T) as a novel nucleoside analog and compared its properties with those of 4'-C-aminoethyl-thymidine (4'-AE-T). Furthermore, we designed a new synthetic route for 4'-C-aminoethyl-modified nucleosides and accomplished the synthesis of 4'-AE-T via a novel pathway with high total yield. DNA containing 4'-MAE-T analogs decreased RNA affinity slightly more than unmodified DNA and DNA containing 4'-AE-T, but significantly improved nuclease resistance compared to unmodified DNA in a solution containing bovine serum. In addition, the impact of 4'-MAE-T on DNA stability was higher than that of 4'-AE-T. Also, DNA containing these analogs can activate Escherichia coli-derived RNase H. Thus, 4'-MAE-T has the potential to be used in gapmer-type antisense nucleic acids as a suitable candidate for the development of therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides.
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18
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Andersson P. Preclinical Safety Assessment of Therapeutic Oligonucleotides. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2434:355-370. [PMID: 35213031 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2010-6_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
During the last decade, therapeutic oligonucleotide drugs (OND) have witnessed a tremendous development in chemistry and mechanistic understanding that have translated into successful clinical applications. Depending on the specific OND mechanism, chemistry, and design, the DMPK and toxicity properties can vary significantly between different OND classes and delivery approaches, the latter including lipid formulations or conjugation approaches to enhance productive OND uptake. At the same time, with the only difference between compounds being the nucleobase sequence, ONDs with same mechanism of action, chemistry, and design show relatively consistent behavior, allowing certain extrapolations between compounds within an OND class. This chapter provides a summary of the most common toxicities, the improved mechanistic understanding and the safety assessment activities performed for therapeutic oligonucleotides during the drug discovery and development process. Several of the considerations described for therapeutic applications should also be of value for the scientists mainly using oligonucleotides as research tools to explore various biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Andersson
- Safety Innovation, Safety Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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19
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Making Sense of Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Targeting Bcl-2. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14010097. [PMID: 35056993 PMCID: PMC8778715 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, comprised of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, regulates the delicate balance between programmed cell death and cell survival. The Bcl-2 family is essential in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, but also a key culprit in tumorigenesis. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, the founding member of this family, was discovered due to its dysregulated expression in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Bcl-2 is a central protagonist in a wide range of human cancers, promoting cell survival, angiogenesis and chemotherapy resistance; this has prompted the development of Bcl-2-targeting drugs. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) are highly specific nucleic acid polymers used to modulate target gene expression. Over the past 25 years several Bcl-2 ASO have been developed in preclinical studies and explored in clinical trials. This review will describe the history and development of Bcl-2-targeted ASO; from initial attempts, optimizations, clinical trials undertaken and the promising candidates at hand.
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20
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Masaki Y, Tabira A, Hattori S, Wakatsuki S, Seio K. Insertion of a methylene group into the backbone of an antisense oligonucleotide reveals the importance of deoxyribose recognition by RNase H. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:8917-8924. [DOI: 10.1039/d2ob01667b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Methylene-inserted oligonucleotides showed an inserted-position-dependent inhibitory effect on cleavage reaction which suggested the importance of deoxyribose recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Masaki
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-J2-16 Nagatsuta, Midori, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
- PRESTO, JST, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Ayano Tabira
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-J2-16 Nagatsuta, Midori, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Shihori Hattori
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-J2-16 Nagatsuta, Midori, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Wakatsuki
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-J2-16 Nagatsuta, Midori, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Kohji Seio
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259-J2-16 Nagatsuta, Midori, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8501, Japan
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21
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Osawa T, Yano N, Aoyama H, Obika S. Synthesis, Duplex-Forming Ability, and Nuclease Resistance of Oligonucleotides Containing a Thymidine Derivative with a 1-Oxaspiro[4.5]decane Skeleton. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2022; 70:699-706. [PMID: 36184452 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c22-00458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Chemically modified nucleic acids are essential for the therapeutic application of oligonucleotides. In this study, 6'-C-spiro-thymidine exhibiting a fixed torsion angle γ was designed, synthesized, and incorporated into oligonucleotides. The conformational analysis of the 6'-C-spiro-thymidine monomer revealed that its torsion angle γ was in the +synclinal range (approx. 60°), which is similar to that in a natural RNA duplex, as expected. On the other hand, the sugar conformation of the RNA duplex is known to be predominantly an N-type, whereas that of the synthesized monomer was an S-type. The results of the UV melting analysis demonstrated that the duplex-forming ability of 6'-C-spiro-thymidine was inferior to that of natural DNA. Contrarily, 6'-C-spiro-thymidine could enhance the stability of oligonucleotides toward nucleases. Particularly, the incorporation of 6'-C-spiro-thymidine on the 3'-ends of the oligonucleotides significantly increased the nuclease resistance of the oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Osawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Natsumi Yano
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Hiroshi Aoyama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Satoshi Obika
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
- Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition
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22
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Vasquez G, Migawa MT, Wan WB, Low A, Tanowitz M, Swayze EE, Seth PP. Evaluation of Phosphorus and Non-Phosphorus Neutral Oligonucleotide Backbones for Enhancing Therapeutic Index of Gapmer Antisense Oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acid Ther 2021; 32:40-50. [PMID: 34698585 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphorothioate (PS) linkage in an essential component of therapeutic oligonucleotides. PS in the DNA region of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) supports RNaseH1 activity and enhances nuclease stability. PS also promotes binding to plasma, cell surface, and intracellular proteins, which facilitates tissue distribution, cellular uptake, and endosomal escape of PS ASOs. We recently showed that site-specific replacement of PS in the DNA gap with methoxylpropyl phosphonate (MOP) linkages can enhance the therapeutic index of gapmer ASOs. In this article, we explored 18 phosphorus- and non-phosphorus-based neutral backbone modifications to determine the structure-activity relationship of neutral linkages for enhancing therapeutic index. Replacing MOP with other alkyl phosphonate and phosphotriester linkages enhanced therapeutic index, but these linkages were susceptible to chemical degradation during oligonucleotide deprotection from solid supports following synthesis. Replacing MOP with non-phosphorus linkages resulted in improved chemical stability, but these linkages were introduced into ASOs as nucleotide dimers, which limits their versatility. Overall, linkages such as isopropyl and isobutyl phosphonates and O-isopropyl and O-tetrahydrofuranosyl phosphotriesters, formacetal, and C3-amide showed improved activity in mice relative to MOP. Our data suggest that site-specific incorporation of any neutral backbone linkage can improve therapeutic index, but the size, hydrophobicity, and RNA-binding affinity of the linkage influence ASO activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Vasquez
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Michael T Migawa
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - W Brad Wan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Audrey Low
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Michael Tanowitz
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Eric E Swayze
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Punit P Seth
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
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23
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Anderson BA, Freestone GC, Low A, De-Hoyos CL, Iii WJD, Østergaard ME, Migawa MT, Fazio M, Wan WB, Berdeja A, Scandalis E, Burel SA, Vickers TA, Crooke ST, Swayze EE, Liang X, Seth PP. Towards next generation antisense oligonucleotides: mesylphosphoramidate modification improves therapeutic index and duration of effect of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:9026-9041. [PMID: 34417625 PMCID: PMC8450106 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The PS modification enhances the nuclease stability and protein binding properties of gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and is one of very few modifications that support RNaseH1 activity. We evaluated the effect of introducing stereorandom and chiral mesyl-phosphoramidate (MsPA) linkages in the DNA gap and flanks of gapmer PS ASOs and characterized the effect of these linkages on RNA-binding, nuclease stability, protein binding, pro-inflammatory profile, antisense activity and toxicity in cells and in mice. We show that all PS linkages in a gapmer ASO can be replaced with MsPA without compromising chemical stability and RNA binding affinity but these designs reduced activity. However, replacing up to 5 PS in the gap with MsPA was well tolerated and replacing specific PS linkages at appropriate locations was able to greatly reduce both immune stimulation and cytotoxicity. The improved nuclease stability of MsPA over PS translated to significant improvement in the duration of ASO action in mice which was comparable to that of enhanced stabilized siRNA designs. Our work highlights the combination of PS and MsPA linkages as a next generation chemical platform for identifying ASO drugs with improved potency and therapeutic index, reduced pro-inflammatory effects and extended duration of effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Audrey Low
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | | | | | - Michael T Migawa
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Michael Fazio
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - W Brad Wan
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Andres Berdeja
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Eli Scandalis
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | | | - Stanley T Crooke
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Eric E Swayze
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Xuehai Liang
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Punit P Seth
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
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24
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Ducoli L, Agrawal S, Hon CC, Ramilowski JA, Sibler E, Tagami M, Itoh M, Kondo N, Abugessaisa I, Hasegawa A, Kasukawa T, Suzuki H, Carninci P, Shin JW, de Hoon MJL, Detmar M. The choice of negative control antisense oligonucleotides dramatically impacts downstream analysis depending on the cellular background. BMC Genom Data 2021; 22:33. [PMID: 34521352 PMCID: PMC8439024 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-021-00992-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The lymphatic and the blood vasculature are closely related systems that collaborate to ensure the organism’s physiological function. Despite their common developmental origin, they present distinct functional fates in adulthood that rely on robust lineage-specific regulatory programs. The recent technological boost in sequencing approaches unveiled long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as prominent regulatory players of various gene expression levels in a cell-type-specific manner. Results To investigate the potential roles of lncRNAs in vascular biology, we performed antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) knockdowns of lncRNA candidates specifically expressed either in human lymphatic or blood vascular endothelial cells (LECs or BECs) followed by Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE-Seq). Here, we describe the quality control steps adopted in our analysis pipeline before determining the knockdown effects of three ASOs per lncRNA target on the LEC or BEC transcriptomes. In this regard, we especially observed that the choice of negative control ASOs can dramatically impact the conclusions drawn from the analysis depending on the cellular background. Conclusion In conclusion, the comparison of negative control ASO effects on the targeted cell type transcriptomes highlights the essential need to select a proper control set of multiple negative control ASO based on the investigated cell types. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12863-021-00992-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ducoli
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.,Molecular Life Sciences PhD Program, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Saumya Agrawal
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Chung-Chau Hon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Jordan A Ramilowski
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Eliane Sibler
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.,Molecular Life Sciences PhD Program, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michihira Tagami
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Itoh
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Naoto Kondo
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Imad Abugessaisa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Akira Hasegawa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Takeya Kasukawa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Harukazu Suzuki
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Piero Carninci
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,Human Technopole, Via Cristina Belgioioso 171, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | - Jay W Shin
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michiel J L de Hoon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michael Detmar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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25
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Crooke ST. Addressing the Needs of Patients with Ultra-Rare Mutations One Patient at a Time: The n-Lorem Approach. Nucleic Acid Ther 2021; 32:95-100. [PMID: 34520268 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Thanks to the advent of genomic sequencing and numerous personalized medicine initiatives in various medical centers, it is now known that there are many patients who have heretofore never been diagnosed who have mutations that are unique to them and them only and others that may be members of an extremely rare mutation (<30 patients in the world). Although each mutation may be unique it is now estimated that there are millions of these unique or vanishingly small patient groups. Patients with diseases caused by ultra-rare mutations present challenges to the health care system that are as unique as their mutation. n-Lorem was founded to take advantage of the antisense technology that we created at Ionis to discover and develop personalized antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) one patient at a time and provide those experimental ASO treatments for free for life. In our first 18 months of operation, we have demonstrated this goal is achievable and worked with the FDA to develop guidance for ASO treatment of patients with ultra-rare diseases. In this article, I define the problem, discuss the ASO solution, and our progress at n-Lorem to date. I then focus on important steps that we have taken to assure that these complex risk/benefit judgments are made with high quality and that each patient receives the highest quality ASO possible. I then describe the processes we have created to assure that the opportunity to learn from each patient and our aggregate experience are maximized and shared with all stakeholders.
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26
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Yamaguchi T, Yamamoto C, Horiba M, Aoyama H, Obika S. Synthesis and duplex-forming ability of oligonucleotides modified with 4'-C,5'-C-methylene-bridged nucleic acid (4',5'-BNA). Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 46:116359. [PMID: 34391942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We describe herein the design and synthesis of 4'-C,5'-C-methylene-bridged nucleic acid (4',5'-BNA), a novel artificial nucleic acid with the torsion angle γ in a non-canonical +ac range. The 4',5'-BNA phosphoramidite bearing a thymine nucleobase was synthesized from a commercially available thymidine analog in 11 steps and successfully incorporated into oligonucleotides. The resulting oligonucleotides were evaluated for their duplex-forming ability toward single-stranded DNA and RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Yamaguchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Chika Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masahiko Horiba
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Aoyama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Satoshi Obika
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan.
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27
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Prakash TP, Yu J, Shen W, De Hoyos CL, Berdeja A, Gaus H, Liang XH, Crooke ST, Seth PP. Site-specific Incorporation of 2',5'-Linked Nucleic Acids Enhances Therapeutic Profile of Antisense Oligonucleotides. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:922-927. [PMID: 34141070 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Site-specific incorporation of 2'-modifications and neutral linkages in the deoxynucleotide gap region of toxic phosphorothioate (PS) gapmer ASOs can enhance therapeutic index and safety. In this manuscript, we determined the effect of introducing 2',5'-linked RNA in the deoxynucleotide gap region on toxicity and potency of PS ASOs. Our results demonstrate that incorporation of 2',5'-linked RNA in the gap region dramatically improved hepatotoxicity profile of PS-ASOs without compromising potency and provide a novel alternate chemical approach for improving therapeutic index of ASO drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thazha P. Prakash
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Jinghua Yu
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Wen Shen
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Cheryl Li De Hoyos
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Andres Berdeja
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Hans Gaus
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Xue-hai Liang
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Stanley T. Crooke
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Punit P. Seth
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
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