Kaur Gurjot, Roy Ipsita
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Department of Biotechnology, Sector 67, SAS. Nagar, Punjab 160 062, India.
Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2008 Jan;17(1):43-60. doi: 10.1517/13543784.17.1.43.
Aptamers constitute a new class of oligonucleotides that have gained therapeutic importance. With the approval of the first aptamer drug, pegaptanib, interest in this class of oligonucleotides, often referred to as 'chemical antibodies', has increased. This article discusses aptamers in relation to other oligonucleotide molecules such as antisense nucleotides, short inhibitory sequences, ribozymes and so on. The development of pegaptanib is looked at from the point of view of the challenges faced in converting aptamers into therapeutic molecules. Cases of other aptamers, which show promise as drugs, are discussed in slightly greater detail. Comparison with antibodies and small molecules, which have hitherto held monopoly in this area, is also made.
适体构成了一类具有治疗重要性的新型寡核苷酸。随着首个适体药物pegaptanib的获批，对这类常被称为“化学抗体”的寡核苷酸的关注有所增加。本文讨论了适体与其他寡核苷酸分子（如反义核苷酸、短干扰序列、核酶等）的关系。从将适体转化为治疗性分子所面临的挑战的角度审视了pegaptanib的研发过程。对其他有望成为药物的适体案例进行了更详细的讨论。还与此前在该领域占据垄断地位的抗体和小分子进行了比较。
