Deoxyribozymes as inhibitors of vascular smooth muscle cell growth.
DNA enzymes, or DNAzymes, are all-DNA molecules with inherent catalytic activity that bind and cleave at their complementary sequence in the target mRNA through Watson-Crick base pairing. These agents have been successfully used to tease out the role the targeted gene plays in both cellular systems and in a variety of animal models. DNAzymes have the potential to serve as novel nucleic acid-based therapeutic agents in pathologies involving aberrant smooth muscle cell growth and a range of other disorders.
Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales and Department of Haematology, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia. L.Khachigian@unsw.edu.au
Levon M
LM
Khachigian
D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D021881:DNA, Catalytic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
D021881:DNA, Catalytic