From Nucleic Acids Sequences to Molecular Medicine

Despite a half century of structural, biophysical and biochemical investigations of ribonucleic acids, they are still mysterious. RNAs stand at fertile crossroads of disciplines, integrating concepts from genomics, proteomics, dynamics as well as biochemistry and molecular biology. From 20 years it is clear, that genetic regulation of eukaryotic organisms has been misunderstood for the last years that the expression of genetic information is effected only by proteins. Basic understanding of nucleic acids has enhanced our foundation to probe novel biological functions. This is especially evident for RNA molecules whose functionality, maturation, and regulation require formation of correct secondary structure through encoded base-pairing interactions.

From the contents.- Preface.- RNA (center of the) World. Non-coding RNAs: Identification of Cancer-Associated microRNAs. Antisense Oligonucleotides in the Treatment of Malignant Gliomas. The diverse active sites in splicing, debranching and microRNA processing around RNA phosphodiester bonds. Activation and Deactivation of Antisense Function with Light. Targeting catalytic RNAs into mitochondria for functional analyses and inverse genetics. Ribozymes as molecular biology reagents. Natural antisense transcripts mediate regulation of gene expression. Hammerhead ribozymes against virus and viroid RNAs. Chemical modification of short shRNAs. Antisense for treatment of cancer: the present and the future. Targeting non-coding RNAs for cancer therapy. Suppression of hepatitis C viral genome replication with Functional Antisense Oligonucleotides. Antisense-mediated reduction of eukaryotic non-coding RNAs.