Therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides against cancer: Hurdling to the clinic

• Autor(es): Moreno, PM ; Pêgo, AP
• Data: 2014
• Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/120730
• Origem: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
• Assunto(s): Antisense; Cancer; Nanomedicine; Oligonucleotides; Therapeutics
• Tipo de Documento: Artigo científico
• Idioma: Inglês

Descrição

Under clinical development since the early 90's and with two successfully approved drugs (Fomivirsen and Mipomersen), oligonucleotide-based therapeutics has not yet delivered a clinical drug to the market in the cancer field. Whilst many pre-clinical data has been generated, a lack of understanding still exists on how to efficiently tackle all the different challenges presented for cancer targeting in a clinical setting. Namely, effective drug vectorization, careful choice of target gene or synergistic multi-gene targeting are surely decisive, while caution must be exerted to avoid potential toxic, often misleading off-target-effects. Here a brief overview will be given on the nucleic acid chemistry advances that established oligonucleotide technologies as a promising therapeutic alternative and ongoing cancer related clinical trials. Special attention will be given toward a perspective on the hurdles encountered specifically in the cancer field by this class of therapeutic oligonucleotides and a view on possible avenues for success is presented, with particular focus on the contribution from nanotechnology to the field.