Designing antisense to inhibit the renin-angiotensin system.

Overactive renin-angiotensin system has been indicated in numerous pathological situations. Current treatment is based on pharmaceutical compounds, which work on the proteins level. Undisputedly helpful, it is not, however, flawless. Some of the drawbacks include adverse effects and non-compliance problem, since in many cases medicine has to be taken at least once a day for a long time. Therefore it seems logical to try a different approach, for instance to correct the disease at the gene expression level, possibly having a choice of shorter or longer-lasting effects. This current review combines results, relevant to the angiotensin system, with the antisense approach, which decreases amount of target protein by interfering at the mRNA level. Dependent on the tool used--oligodeoxynucleotide, plasmid or viral vector, the antisense effect lasts from few days to months.