{"title":"Current status and trends in small nucleic acid drug development: Leading the future","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.apsb.2024.05.008","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Small nucleic acid drugs, composed of nucleotides, represent a novel class of pharmaceuticals that differ significantly from conventional small molecule and antibody-based therapeutics. These agents function by selectively targeting specific genes or their corresponding messenger RNAs (mRNAs), further modulating gene expression and regulating translation-related processes. Prominent examples within this category include antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and aptamers. The emergence of small nucleic acid drugs as a focal point in contemporary biopharmaceutical research is attributed to their remarkable specificity, facile design, abbreviated development cycles, expansive target spectrum, and prolonged activity. Overcoming challenges such as poor stability, immunogenicity, and permeability issues have been addressed through the integration of chemical modifications and the development of drug delivery systems. This review provides an overview of the current status and prospective trends in small nucleic acid drug development. Commencing with a historical context, we introduce the primary classifications and mechanisms of small nucleic acid drugs. Subsequently, we delve into the advantages of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs and mainly discuss the challenges encountered during their development. Apart from researching chemical modification and delivery system that efficiently deliver and enrich small nucleic acid drugs to target tissues, promoting endosomal escape is a critical scientific question and important research direction in siRNA drug development. Future directions in this field will prioritize addressing these challenges to facilitate the clinical transformation of small nucleic acid drugs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6906,"journal":{"name":"Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. B","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":14.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211383524001850/pdfft?md5=447adc0ec646836acd3aa58994d7de39&pid=1-s2.0-S2211383524001850-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. B","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211383524001850","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Small nucleic acid drugs, composed of nucleotides, represent a novel class of pharmaceuticals that differ significantly from conventional small molecule and antibody-based therapeutics. These agents function by selectively targeting specific genes or their corresponding messenger RNAs (mRNAs), further modulating gene expression and regulating translation-related processes. Prominent examples within this category include antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and aptamers. The emergence of small nucleic acid drugs as a focal point in contemporary biopharmaceutical research is attributed to their remarkable specificity, facile design, abbreviated development cycles, expansive target spectrum, and prolonged activity. Overcoming challenges such as poor stability, immunogenicity, and permeability issues have been addressed through the integration of chemical modifications and the development of drug delivery systems. This review provides an overview of the current status and prospective trends in small nucleic acid drug development. Commencing with a historical context, we introduce the primary classifications and mechanisms of small nucleic acid drugs. Subsequently, we delve into the advantages of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs and mainly discuss the challenges encountered during their development. Apart from researching chemical modification and delivery system that efficiently deliver and enrich small nucleic acid drugs to target tissues, promoting endosomal escape is a critical scientific question and important research direction in siRNA drug development. Future directions in this field will prioritize addressing these challenges to facilitate the clinical transformation of small nucleic acid drugs.
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. BPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics-General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
CiteScore
22.40
自引率
5.50%
发文量
1051
审稿时长
19 weeks
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association oversees the peer review process for Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. B (APSB).
Published monthly in English, APSB is dedicated to disseminating significant original research articles, rapid communications, and high-quality reviews that highlight recent advances across various pharmaceutical sciences domains. These encompass pharmacology, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, natural products, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis, and pharmacokinetics.
A part of the Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica series, established in 1953 and indexed in prominent databases like Chemical Abstracts, Index Medicus, SciFinder Scholar, Biological Abstracts, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, and Current Bibliography on Science and Technology, APSB is sponsored by the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association. Its production and hosting are facilitated by Elsevier B.V. This collaborative effort ensures APSB's commitment to delivering valuable contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences community.