Scientists from Hybridon Inc. reported in Nucleic Acid Researchtheir design of a new class of antisense compounds, termedself-stabilized or "loop" oligonucleotides, which are moreresistant to degradation and more potent at lower doses thanearlier versions. "The backbone coupled with the hairpin loopfeature also allows for significantly increased potency foroligonucleotides as anti-viral agents," said Sudhir Agrawal,author of the study and chief scientific officer of the Worcester,Mass. company.

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