Application of decoy oligonucleotides as novel therapeutic strategy: a contemporary overview

Molecular therapy is emerging as a potential strategy for the treatment of many diseases. Correct regulation of gene expression is essential for both, to normal development and proper functioning of the all the organisms. Even after four decades of intensive research, it is still a major problem from regulatory and technical point of view, to replace defective genes. The technology of decoy oligonucleotides has received considerable attention to treat and cure a variety of diseases and abnormal physiological conditions, because they provide a rational way to design and selective regulation of a specific gene expression. Decoy oligonucleotides are widely used as inhibitors of specific gene expression because they can offer exciting possibility of expression and blocking of a particular gene without any changes in the functions of other genes. Advances in the decoy oligonucleotides are rapidly paving the way to new insights into the origin and treatment of inflammatory, cancer and/or other immune disorders. The review covers the progress achieved towards the development of decoy oligonucleotides as a potential strategy in a new class of molecular therapy.