Targeting Transcription Factors to Inhibit Selectively Gene Expression in Particular Cell Types

This conference is mainly about targeting drugs to desired cell types, although some of the contributions address the difficult problem of facilitating the entry of oligonucleotides into cells. The use of anti-sense oligonucleotides or ribozymes to prevent the expression of particular genes in cultured cells, and of “gene knock-out” experimental animals, provide valuable experimental tools. However, they are not easily applicable to human therapy. We are exploring the use of small molecules to inhibit the activation of transcription factors and thereby suppress the expression of certain genes in particular cell types.