Evaluation of the cellular uptake of hexitol nucleic acids in HeLa cells.
Two major hurdles to the widespread use of synthetic nucleic acids as drugs are the biological stability of the compounds and efficiency of cellular penetration. Recent advances in the chemistry of nucleic acids has given rise to highly stable derivatives with an anhydrohexitol backbone. This report addresses the cellular uptake of these molecules. We show that the uptake of HNA in the absence of a carrier is very low but HNA is efficiently internalized with a range of transfection reagents.
Atkins
D
D
Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Ltd., Sydney, Australia.
Miller
M
M
De Bouvere
B
B
van Aerschot
A
A
Herdewijn
P
P
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006600:Hexosephosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000378:metabolism*; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000096:biosynthesis
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006600:Hexosephosphates; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016914:Ribonuclease H