Setting sights on the treatment of ocular angiogenesis using antisense oligonucleotides.
The application of antisense technology to study physiological and disease processes continues to mature. Antisense approaches are among the most direct means to use genomic sequence information. When developing therapeutics, applications range from early target validation in discovery to the therapeutic product. In this review, we describe the application of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to identify genes that are important in controlling angiogenesis. High-throughput assays in vitro have been used to evaluate many gene targets. Genes that appear to be important in angiogenesis are then evaluated further in animal models of ocular angiogenesis. The ability of ASOs to reduce target-gene expression in the appropriate cells in the eye raises the possibility that this class of compounds could be used for target validation in vivo, and also be developed as a novel class of therapeutics in their own right.
Henry
Scott P
SP
Isis Pharmaceuticals, 2292 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA. shenry@isisph.com
Marcusson
Eric G
EG
Vincent
Thomas M
TM
Dean
Nicholas M
NM
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense