The present invention relates to novel nuclease-resistant oligomeric compounds and to novel methods for increasing resistance of oligomeric compounds. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the oligomeric compounds comprise at least one modified nucleoside containing a modified sugar moiety at either the 3' or 5' terminus of the oligomeric compound, and further comprise at least one internucleoside linking group that is other than phosphodiester. Other preferred embodiments of the invention include methods of enhancing the nuclease resistance of oligomeric compounds comprising incorporating at least one modified nucleoside containing a modified sugar moiety at either the 3' or 5' terminus of an oligomeric compound.
