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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Evaluation of the Efficacy And Toxicity of RNAs Targeting HIV-1 Production for Use in Gene or Drug Therapy
Published on: September 5, 2016
Silencing of HIV by hairpin-loop-structured DNA oligonucleotide
Karin Moelling1, Susanne Abels, Joerg Jendis
1Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. moelling@immv.unizh.ch
Abstract:
We describe inhibition of HIV replication by a partially double-stranded 54mer oligodeoxynucleotide, ODN, which consists of an antisense strand targeting the highly conserved polypurine tract, PPT, of HIV, and a second strand, compatible with triple-helix formation. Upon treatment of HIV-infected cells with ODN early after infection no viral nucleic acids, syncytia or p24 viral antigen expression was observed. The ODN-mediated effect was highly sequence-specific. The ODN against HIV-IIIB was effective preferentially against its homologous PPT and less against the PPT of HIV-BaL differing in two of 24 nucleotides and vice versa. It may be interesting mechanistically as an antiviral drug.
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