APTAMERS RESISTANT TO NUCLEOCAPSID DEGRADATION

摘要

The present invention is based on the observation that the nucleocapsid protein of RNA viruses has the ability to degrade both non-viral RNA and DNA. This degradation by viral components such as HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein renders inhibitory RNA aptamers generally ineffective in vivo. Disclosed herein are chimeric aptamers that are engineered to be resistant to degradation by viral components because they contain a segment of the viral RNA genome in addition to an anti-viral nucleic acid.