Lay summary
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are a revolutionary new type of drug work at the genetic level to treat a wide range of conditions and can be custom-made to provide patients with personalised therapies. ASOs are chains of DNA or RNA made up of nucleosides which act like links in the chain. Unmodified ASOs are unstable in the body and are unable to enter the problem-causing cells where they are needed. While exciting modifications have been made before to strengthen these chain links and make ASOs excellent candidates as a new class of cancer treatments, toxicity problems have limited their use. This project will investigate a new class of nucleoside chain links in cancer-targeting ASOs. The results of this study will be used to build Dr Davison’s new research programme in Aotearoa New Zealand, and ultimately, this research aims to provide rapid access to ASO medicines for New Zealand cancer patients.