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CSHL shows correcting RNA splicing may help treat spinal muscular atrophy

Cold Spring Harbor, New York -- RNA splicing antisense technology studied at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) effectively corrected an mRNA splicing defect found in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients, and is now ready to be tested in mouse models. "SMA patients who suffer from motor-neuron degeneration may benefit from our ability to correct the mRNA splicing defect that makes their SMN2 genes only partially functional," suggested CSHL Professor Adrian Krainer, Ph.D.

RNA splicing antisense technology allows researchers to influence the ultimate structure and function of proteins. Proteins are synthesized from instructions coded in the DNA through a multi-step process that includes RNA splicing. Information stored in the DNA of genes is transcribed into immature "pre-messenger RNAs" (pre-mRNAs), pre-mRNAs are then spliced into mature "messenger RNAs" (mRNAs), and finally, mRNAs are translated into proteins. In humans and most other organisms, the splicing process thus ensures proper protein production.

"Targeting the splicing process is a promising strategy for finding new medicines to treat SMA, and possibly other diseases," said Marcus Rhoades, Ph.D. of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially supported Krainers research. "This work brings us one step closer to that goal."

The defect in SMN2 gene expression in SMA patients is at the level of pre-mRNA splicing, such that exon 7 tends to be left out of the mRNA that ultimately makes SMN protein. Several strategies have been pursued to increase the extent of exon 7 inclusion in the splicing of SMN2, for eventual use as therapeutics for SMA. The Krainer team, in collaboration with a team at Isis Pharmaceuticals, surveyed a large number of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and found that some of these ASOs are able to correct the mRNA splicing defect in cultured cells from SMA patients. These powerful ASOs are identified by the Krainer team as
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Contact: Dagnia Zeidlickis
zeidlick@cshl.edu
516-367-8455
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
12-Mar-2007


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