Perspective in Deoxyribonucleic Acid Based Drugs

The approaches utilizing deoxyribonucleic acids based therapeutic such as antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, sense oligonucletodes, aptamers, triplex forming oligonucleotides and DNA enzymes are described. The steps involved in drug discovery using antisense oligonucleotides are outlined. The modifications required to make the oligodeoxynucleotides useful as drug candidates are described. Mechanism of action of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides and antisense oligonucleotides used as antiviral agents is reviewed. Sense oligonucleotides (the decoy) and their applications in antiviral agents are described. A review of the triplex forming oligonucleotodes and and their uses as antiviral agents are described. Discovery of deoxyribozymes, mechanism of cleavage of RNA with the formation of 2’,3’cyclic phosphate and 5’hydroxyl termini and DNAxymes as antiviral agents are explained. In the last part of the article aptamers and attractive properties are outlined.