Antisense and siRNA: Parochialism in Research

I enjoyed reading an excellent review in Science Translational Medicine on problems and possibilities concerning therapeutic utilization of siRNA. The authors, from MD Anderson Cancer Center, covered all the key issues including target selection, delivery, toxicity and pharmaceutical feasibility. An interesting sidelight for me, however, was that the article focused solely on siRNA and completely ignored single stranded oligonucleotides such as ‘classic’ antisense or splice switching oligonucleotides although these molecules share exactly the same prospects and problems as siRNA. This reflects a schism of interests in the oligonucleotide therapeutics field with one group of investigators (and companies) promoting the virtues of siRNA while another cohort focuses on single stranded oligos. Fortunately there are venues where the two groups can communicate- one being the annual meeting of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society where all forms of nucleic acid therapy are considered. It’s an interesting commentary on science, however, that even in a relatively small field a considerable amount of parochialism can come into play. 

http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/6/240/240ps7.full 

http://www.oligotherapeutics.org/