Antisense Drugs Using Gold Nanoparticles
For the most part, the main purpose of genes is to create proteins which make up our physical body and perform all the biochemical functions needed to keep us alive. When mutant genes create abnormal proteins, however, antisense drugs can theoretically be used to block the genes before the harmful proteins are made.
One of the difficulties of developing antisense drugs is delivering it to the target gene before the drug degrades. New research has shown that “attaching multiple strands of antisense DNA to the surface of gold nanoparticles - pieces of gold a small fraction of the width of a human hair - the antisense drug could be delivered to its target in a more stable form.”
Gold is often used in nanotechnology because it is biologically inert. A few years ago, gold “nano-bullets” appeared to kill breast cancer cells.
Some key questions about antisense technology from Isis Pharmaceuticals (along with some answers here):
- Do antisense drugs interact with their RNA targets in a highly specific manner?
- Where do antisense drugs distribute in the body?
- Do they get into cells?
- What doses produce therapeutic effects?
- What are the potential toxicities, and how can they be minimized or avoided?
- How can antisense drugs be made more convenient for patients?
- What diseases can they treat?
BBC News, May 18, 2006
Technorati Tags: gold. nanoparticles, nanotechnology, antisense drugs, genetics, genes, disease, health, dna
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POSTED IN: Genetic Ingenuity
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