Anti-gene strategies to down-regulate gene expression in mammalian cells.

A current goal in molecular medicine is the development of new strategies for the selective inhibition of cancer-critical genes. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides and peptide nucleic acids bind to the double helix of DNA in a sequence-specific manner and with great affinity. Because of these properties, these molecules have been proposed as anti-gene therapeutic drugs. This review summarizes recent results on the use of oligonucleotides and peptide nucleic acids to downregulate gene expression in cultured cells. The data are discussed from the perspective of the recent literature on new molecular strategies with potential therapeutic applications.