Nucleic acid-based technologies in therapy of malignant gliomas

Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2011 Nov;12(11):1805-22. doi: 10.2174/138920111798377067.

Abstract

Malignant gliomas are the deadliest brain tumors, which are characterized by highly invasive growth, a rampant genetic instability and intense resistance to apoptosis. Such an aggressive behavior of malignant gliomas is reflected in the resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy and weak prognosis in spite of cytoreduction through surgery. Brain tumors preferentially express a number of specific protein and RNA markers, that may be exploited as potential therapeutic targets in design of the new treatment modalities based on nucleic acids. For almost three decades, a possibility to apply DNA and RNA molecules as anticancer therapeutics have been studied. A variety of antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, DNAzymes, and aptamers can be designed to trigger the sequence-specific inhibition of particular mRNA of interest. RNA interference (RNAi) is the latest and the most promising technique in the long line of nucleic acid-based therapeutic technologies. Recently, we designed and implemented the experimental therapy of patients suffering from malignant brain tumors based on application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) specific for tenascin-C (TN-C) mRNA. That therapeutic agent, called ATN-RNA, induces RNAi pathway to inhibit the synthesis of TN-C, the extracellular matrix protein which is highly overexpressed in brain tumor tissue. In the chapter specific problems of application of nucleic acid-based technologies in glioma tumors treatment will be discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / genetics
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / metabolism
  • Glioma / genetics
  • Glioma / metabolism
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Glioma / therapy*
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / administration & dosage
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / adverse effects
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / genetics
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / pharmacokinetics
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / therapeutic use*
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / therapeutic use*
  • Tenascin / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Tenascin / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins
  • MIRN21 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Tenascin
  • Transcription Factors