Novel Antisense DNA Conjugates as Anti-HIV Agents

Antisense oligonucleotide technology offers a very unique form of drug therapy; however, one of thefacing this technology is the difficulty which these types of molecules have in penetrating biologictheir site of action. Our long term objectives are to develop glycosteroid-oligonucleotide therapiesmembranes thus making antisense technology a more effective and real form of drug therapy. The speciwill be to conjugate bis-glycosylated steroid membrane replication with the possibility of developindrug therapy. This conjugation will be accomplished by attaching to the 5' - or 3' terminus of eitheacceptor or primer binding site steroid via a linker to the steroid C-17 side chain. The ability oftechnology which would reliably deliver antisense oligonucleotides both across cellular and mucosalprovide effective new drugs.