Characterization of antibodies targeting ASO modifications for intracellular trafficking

A new article in the peer-reviewed journal Nucleic Acid Therapeutics describes the characterization of antibodies targeting antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) phosphorothioate and 2'-methoxyehtyl modifications for intracellular trafficking and biodistribution studies. 

Peter Oliver and Xiao Wan, from the Research Complex at Harwell, U.K., and coauthors, validated new panels of antibody reagents that target clinically relevant nucleic acid modifications for visualizing ASOs both in vitro and in vivo. The investigators tested ASOs in vitro for intracellular localization by immunocytochemistry and for biodistribution in mouse tissues by immunohistochemistry.

"Our data demonstrate the utility of these reagents for the NAT field, where modified nucleic acids can be detected irrespective of the nucleotide sequence, rendering the system amenable for multiple clinical and pre-clinical workflows and quantitative immunoassays," stated the investigators.

"Advancing expedited preclinical development requires better tools to trace the biodistribution of potential oligonucleotide therapeutics in vivo to bring them to the clinical arena," says Executive Editor Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI.