Antisense oligonucleotides and spinal muscular atrophy: skipping along.
Summary of "Antisense oligonucleotides and spinal muscular atrophy: skipping along."
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can be used to alter the splicing of a gene and either restore production of a required protein or eliminate a toxic product. In this issue of Genes & Development, Hua and colleagues (pp. 1634-1644) show that ASOs directed against an intron splice silencer (ISS) in the survival motor neuron 2 (SMN2) gene alter the amount of full-length SMN transcript in the nervous system, restoring SMN to levels that could correct spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Affiliation
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA;
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Genes & development
ISSN: 1549-5477
Pages: 1574-9
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20679391
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/gad.1961710
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Muscular Atrophy, Spinal
A group of disorders marked by progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord resulting in weakness and muscular atrophy, usually without evidence of injury to the corticospinal tracts. Diseases in this category include Werdnig-Hoffmann disease and later onset SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHIES OF CHILDHOOD, most of which are hereditary. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1089)
Bulbo-spinal Atrophy, X-linked
An X-linked recessive form of spinal muscular atrophy. It is due to a mutation of the gene encoding the ANDROGEN RECEPTOR.
Muscular Disorders, Atrophic
Disorders characterized by an abnormal reduction in muscle volume due to a decrease in the size or number of muscle fibers. Atrophy may result from diseases intrinsic to muscle tissue (e.g., MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY) or secondary to PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES that impair innervation to muscle tissue (e.g., MUSCULAR ATROPHY, SPINAL).
Motor Neuron Disease
Diseases characterized by a selective degeneration of the motor neurons of the spinal cord, brainstem, or motor cortex. Clinical subtypes are distinguished by the major site of degeneration. In AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS there is involvement of upper, lower, and brainstem motor neurons. In progressive muscular atrophy and related syndromes (see MUSCULAR ATROPHY, SPINAL) the motor neurons in the spinal cord are primarily affected. With progressive bulbar palsy (BULBAR PALSY, PROGRESSIVE), the initial degeneration occurs in the brainstem. In primary lateral sclerosis, the cortical neurons are affected in isolation. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1089)
Oligonucleotides, Antisense
Short fragments of DNA or RNA that are used to alter the function of target RNAs or DNAs to which they hybridize.
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