| abstract |
A method of inhibiting HIV protease function which comprises administering to a host an effective amount of an oligonucleotide which inhibits HIV protease function. Preferred oligonucleotides are RNA oligonucleotides which include at least one of the following oligonucleotide sequences: (a) 5' - GGAAAGUGGAC - 3'; (b) 5' - AANGU - 3'; and (c) 5' - ANUGGA - 3'; (d) 5' - GGAAAGUGGACRRR - 3'; (e) 5' - RGUGAGUGUGGGCR - 3'; (f) 5' - RGUGAGUGUGGGGCR - 3'; (g) 5' - AGUGUG - 3'; (h) 5' - UNGAUNY - 3'; (i) 5' - CCUC - 3'; and (j) 5' - GGUGNA - 3', wherein A is modified or unmodified adenine, C is modified or unmodified cytosine, G is modified or unmodified guanine, U is modified or unmodified uracil, R is modified or unmodified purine, Y is modified or unmodified pyrimidine, and N is modified or unmodified adenine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil. The oligonucleotide may include a looped region bounded by a base-paired stem region, and at least a portion of at least one of sequences (a) through (j) is contained in the looped region. Such oligonucleotides bind to HIV protease, thereby inhibiting HIV protease function and preventing HIV maturation. |