OLIGODEOXYRIBONUCLEOTIDES COMPRISING O<6>-BENZYLGUANINE AND THEIR USE

摘要

The present invention provides a single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotide, which (i) comprises from about 5 to 11 bases, at least one of which is a substituted or an unsubstituted O<6>-benzylguanine, and (ii) inactivates human AGT. The present invention also provides a single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotide, which can inactivate a mutant human AGT, which either is not inactivated by O<6>-benzylguanine or is less inactivated by O<6>-benzylguanine than by said single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotide. A phosphate of the single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotide can be replaced by a methylphosphonate or a phosphorothioate. The present invention also provides a composition comprising such an oligodeoxyribonucleotide. In addition, the present invention provides a method of enhancing the effect of an antineoplastic alkylating agent, which alkylates the O<6> position of guanine residues in DNA, in the chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer in a mammal, which method comprises the co-administration to the mammal of a cancer-treatment effective amount of an antineoplastic alkylating agent and a chemotherapeutic treatment-enhancing amount of a present inventive oligodeoxyribonucleotide or composition thereof.