In a cellular assay we found that tricyclo-DNA acts as a more powerful antisense oligonucleotide in the splice-shifting of CyPA pre-mRNA compared to LNA, which is the world’s strongest RNA binder known today. The increased efficacy of tricyclo-DNA can not be attributed to higher RNA affinity, but more likely to a more favorable nuclear distribution.

This work was carried out in the group of Prof. Christian Leumann.

References:

• D. Ittig, S. Liu, D. Renneberg, D. Schümperli, C. J. Leumann;
  "Nuclear antisense effects in cyclophilin A pre-mRNA splicing by oligonucleotides: a comparison of tricyclo-DNA with LNA"
  Nucleic Acids Res., 32, 346-353, (2004); doi:10.1093/nar/gkh187.