BioCentury
ARTICLE | Tools & Techniques

RNAs long on toxicity

August 26, 2002 7:00 AM UTC

Antisense cancer therapeutics typically aim to down-regulate oncogenic proteins. But researchers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem last week reported on a different strategy, using antisense RNA to increase the activity of PKR kinase, ultimately resulting in tumor cell apoptosis.

Most antisense RNA therapeutics in development target the RNA encoding a specific protein that is up-regulated in cancer cells. By binding the RNA, antisense molecules hamper RNA transcription, processing, transport or translation, thus down-regulating protein expression and reducing proliferation signals...