THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
I0666 NORTH TORREY PINES ROAD
LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA 920]7
619 455-9t00
EMBARGOED BY SCIENCE MAGAZINE
FOR FRIDAY, DEC. 11, L992
For fnformation:
Sue Pondrom
(619) s54-82ej
SCRIPPS RESEARCIIERS REPORT lst
OF ANUSENSE TOR TREATIIENT
LA JOLLA, CALTFORNTADec.
scripps
Research
issue
of
injected
type
rnstitute
journar
the
antisense
LL,
for
were carried
out
1 (HTLV-1),
a virus
is
caribbean,
Africa
that
and the
first
of
The studies
of
T-cell
not
respond
by breast
well
mirk,
intravenous
to
users
is
it
associated
with
virus
causes ArDs),
the
in
states,
that
increasing
health
risk
A viral
expression),
HfV.
the
than
Like
united
of
distantly
though
the
it
Japan,
thought
tax
to
(transcriptionar
be an important
I{ORE
the
united
malignant
fatal
form
and does
transfusion,
or
among
frequentry
related
of
virus
may be transmitted
has been found
incidence
leukemia
HTLV-I
cousin
appears
appears
ress
activator
factor
in
(the
HIV
to
of
HIV.
qene calIed
is
its
weekrs
southern
always
by brood
this
The
nice.
in
The virus
at
use of
a highly
almost
contact,
where
in
portion
with
chemotherapy.
by sexual
drug
tumors
southeastern
which
successful
prevalent
HTLV-L has been associated
leukemia
in
on Human T-cell
States.
adult
scientists
have reported
the
treatment
OF TI'II{ORS
L992
(TsRr)
science,
succEssFull usE
of
HTLV-I
be
a
PAGE 2 --
THE
associated
author
of
SCRIPPS
leukernia,
of
said
Science
the
engineered
article
mice
the
Nerenberg,
M.D.,
and a member of
another
of
form
Ieukemia.
fn
importance
which
ttThough these
said.
express
mice
cancer
these
growth
regulates
controls
growth
the
decided
lab,
which
the
TSRIts
read
Department
to
look
antisense
oligonucleotide),
the
gene
NF-kB
product
celIs,
rrDNA from
sequence.
nucleic
acid
are
the
this
and hence
used
is
in
which
Because
a
NF-kB
fe1low
inhibiting
normal
which
building
blocks
the
the
antisense.
would
the
in
expression
it.
test
This
tube
of
the
'sense'
complement
cells.
direct
direction.
of
this
rl
UORE
the
DNA (an
recognize
is
a technique
and in
use in
refers
produces
directs
of
specifically
antisense
cells
molecule
in
piece
has had limited
that
nRNA contains
encodes
called
but
which
explained
Nerenberg
which
of
of
which
a postdoctoral
a short
and inactivate
been widely
has
mammalian
right,
to
expression
many cerls.
effects
he
do develop
similarities
enhanced
Kitajima,
the
they
Kappa B (NF-kB),
of
Isao
nany organsr,
1eukemia,
causes
synthesized
The researchers
that
develop
Factor
at
gene in
tax
genetically
vre created
gene. rl
this
which
tax
Nuclear
cells,
tax,
has biochemical
and activation
of
of
the
do not
tumors,
gene called
cellular
is
Michael
Neuropharmacology.
rrTo evaluate
of
RESEARCH IN8TITUTE
to
cultured
whole
a nucleic
messenger
proteins
of
when read
from
for
protein
A nucreic
sequence
from
acid
RNA (rnRNA), a
synthesis
code
animals.
left
to
synthesis
acid
right
sequence
to
left
PAGE 3 --
THE SCRIPPS
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
gave
The TSRr researchers
oligonucleotide
this
to
in
resulted
study
and suggests
that
intervention
in
added that
will
is
antisense
inhibition
Kitajima,
M.D.,
assess
transplanted
and xiao
tax
induced
tumors.
tube
could
to
tumorsl
The
that
the
be inhibited
the
demonstrate
ablate
tumor
growth
of
by these
leukemiasrrr
and pilot
role
successful
growth
a good target
of
antisense
in
use
animals
for
Nerenberg
clinical
the
of
of
the
Science
HTLV-I
NF-kB,'
tax
are
article,
mediated
said.
trials
in
He
hurnans
therapeutics
Xu, M.D.
An additional
shinohara,
Departrnent
of
M.D.,
Pathology,
Japan.
###
which
tumors
TsRr researchers
Ph.D. i James Bilalcovics,
Toshiya
Medicine,
to
studies
authors
of
of
first
HTLV-L associated
rrAblation
mernber of
antisense
in
leukemias.
T-cell
researcher
the
test
NF-kB may represent
to
Additional
Ph.D.;
among the
additional
be needed
adult
the
cells
oligonucleotides
antisense
of
the
.
oligonucleotid.es
of
in
leukemia
of
transplanted
regression
demonstrated
infected
human HTLV-I
rrThis
mice bearing
cornprete
also
researchers
injections
B.S.;
author
ph.D.,
in
titled
mice
by
rsao
David A. Brown,
^is former
who is
Hokkaido
is
TSRr
currently
Uni.versity
a
School