Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
Spring 2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Advisor(s)
Debra L. Mohler
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) are single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acids that bind to mRNA to inhibit the synthesis of proteins that have been associated with the central mechanisms of disease development. Due to their gene silencing capabilities, the potential for ASOs as therapeutic agents is wide, but many toxicological challenges such as poor membrane permeability, low solubility, and rapid degradation by exonucleases must be overcome before ASO medications can be reliably utilized. In order to negate these challenges, the natural sugar- phosphate backbone of ASO’s, which is responsible for its rapid degradation, will be replaced by one that is hydrolytically stable. To do so, synthetic oligonucleotide analogues that lack the traditional ribose-phosphate backbone are being developed and will be studied to assess their stability and ability to suppress gene expression.
Recommended Citation
Lin, Annie, "Overcoming degradation: A novel synthetic strategy for antisense oligonucleotide analogs" (2019). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019. 694.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/694
