title: Design and evaluation of clinically relevant SOFA-HDV ribozymes targeting HIV RNA.
abstract: Nucleic acid therapies targeting HIV replication have the potential to be used in conjunction with or in place of the standard small-molecule therapies. Among the different classes of nucleic acid therapies, several ribozymes (Rzs, RNA enzymes) have been developed to target HIV RNA. The design of Rzs targeting HIV RNA is complicated by the sequence diversity of viral strains and the structural diversity of their target sites. Using the SOFA-HDV Rz as an example, this chapter describes methods that can be used to design Rzs for controlling HIV replication. We describe how to (1) identify highly conserved Rz target sites in HIV RNA; (2) generate a set of Rzs with the potential to be used as therapeutics; and (3) screen these Rzs for activity against HIV production.
authors: Virus-Cell Interactions Laboratory, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Scarborough
authors: Michel V
authors: MV
authors: Lévesque
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: JP
authors: Perreault
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Gatignol
mesh_terms: D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods; D016337:RNA, Catalytic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016337:RNA, Catalytic; D012367:RNA, Viral