Antisense-From Technology to Therapy: Lab Manual and Textbook

The target specific inhibition of gene-expression using antisense nucleic acids has developed into a key technology in molecular biology, bio-medical research and an entirely new field of pharmacotherapy. Like the first conference in 1993, the Second International Conference on Antisense Nucleic Acids will provide a forum for basic researchers, clinicians focusing on the application of antisense techniques in physiological settings and disease states. Major topics are Drug Delivery Systems, Pharmacology Targeting of sites of pathology and reports on the first clinical trials in virology and hematology.

Antisense oligonucleotides (oligos) are an innovative tool for selective gene suppression on a molecular level and three different areas of application have emerged over the past few years. First, gene function analysis in cell culture or in vivo. Secondly, they are becoming an increasingly popular tool for drug target validation in the pharmaceutical industry. A gene is blocked by antisense-oligos to study its value for the development of a classical drug, like a receptor blocker. Thirdly, antisense oligos are developed as pharmaceutical agents themselves to allow for highly selective inhibition of aberrantly expressed genes.

This textbook and lab manual has been written by renowned exports from basic research centres, clinics and industry working in the antisense field. They report on useful techniques and reliable protocols that are most currently used in their laboratories. Cell-culture experiments and in vivo applications are described in more than 70 protocols.

Topics include:

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• Oligonucleotide Synthesis
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• Cell-Culture Applications
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• in vivo Applications
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• Clinical Trails
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• Controls
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• Analytical Techniques
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• Labelling Technical
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• Regulatory Matters
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• Neurobiology
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• Immunology
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• Hematology
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• Oncology
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• Parasitology
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• Virology