Antisense therapy
Antisense Therapy
Antisense therapy (pronounced: an-tee-sens ther-uh-pee) is a form of treatment for genetic disorders or infections. The term "antisense" refers to the 'opposite' strand of a DNA or RNA molecule, which is complementary to the 'sense' strand that carries the genetic code.
Etymology
The term "antisense" originates from the concept of the 'sense' and 'antisense' strands of DNA and RNA. In genetics, the 'sense' strand is the one that carries the genetic code, while the 'antisense' strand is complementary to it. The term "therapy" comes from the Greek "therapeia" meaning healing.
Definition
Antisense therapy involves the use of antisense oligonucleotides (short DNA or RNA molecules) that bind to specific molecules of RNA. This process can alter the function of the RNA molecules, which can in turn affect the production of proteins. This can be used to reduce the production of harmful proteins, or to increase the production of beneficial proteins.
Applications
Antisense therapy has potential applications in the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including genetic disorders, cancers, and infectious diseases. For example, it has been used in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.
Related Terms
- Oligonucleotide: A short DNA or RNA molecule.
- RNA: Ribonucleic acid, a molecule similar to DNA that plays a crucial role in protein synthesis and other chemical activities of the cell.
- DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses.
- Protein synthesis: The process by which cells build proteins.
- Genetic disorder: A disease caused by abnormalities in an individual's genetic material.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Antisense therapy
- Wikipedia's article - Antisense therapy
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