title: Nucleic acids-based therapeutics in the battle against pathogenic viruses.
abstract: For almost three decades, researchers have studied the possibility to use nucleic acids as antiviral therapeutics. In theory, compounds such as antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, DNAzymes, and aptamers can be designed to trigger the sequence-specific inhibition of particular mRNA transcripts, including viral genomes. However, difficulties with their efficiency, off-target effects, toxicity, delivery, and stability halted the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics that can be used in the clinic. So far, only a single antisense drug, Vitravene for the treatment of CMV-induced retinitis in AIDS patients, has made it to the clinic. Since the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), there is a renewed interest in the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Antiviral RNAi approaches are highly effective in vitro and in animal models and are currently being tested in clinical trials. Here we give an overview of antiviral nucleic acid-based therapeutics. We focus on antisense and RNAi-based compounds that have been shown to be effective in animal model systems.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam K3-110, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haasnoot
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berkhout
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000187:drug effects; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014780:Viruses / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering