Antisense inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system in brain and peripheral organs

Antisense inhibition is a method of attenuating the target at the gene expression level. There are two main groups of molecular tools for this goal. The first includes the use of short synthetic stretches of DNA-antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. The second tool is the use of vectors (plasmids or viruses) containing the gene of interest subcloned in the antisense orientation, which in the cells produces the antisense RNA. Both antisense DNA and RNA can bind to the complementary sense mRNA and interfere with its translation. Effects are usually short lasting (days) for oligodeoxynucleotides and longer lasting (weeks or months) for vectors. In this article we briefly describe techniques of antisense inhibition in the context of the renin-angiotensin system.