| abstract |
Cancer is treated by inhibiting the insertion of a variant exon into mRNA of CD44 gene in a cancer stem cell to thereby dissipate the characteristics of the cancer stem cell and convert the same into an anticancer drug- or radiation-sensitive cell. A cancer treating drug that comprises an antisense oligonucleotide, said antisense oligonucleotide being capable of inducing skipping of a variant exon of CD44 gene and increasing the expression of normal type CD44 mRNA, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate or prodrug of the same. An oligonucleotide consisting of 20-23 bases that has all or a part of any of the base sequences represented by SEQ ID NOS:1-19, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate or prodrug of the same. A drug for inducing skipping of at least one variant exon selected from the group consisting of variants 8, 9 and 10 of CD44 gene, said drug comprising the aforesaid oligonucleotide, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate or prodrug of the same. |