{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T11:15:51Z","timestamp":1760267751858,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,19]],"date-time":"2020-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1592524800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Genes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) has been implicated in various neurological diseases, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease. It has been hypothesized that the reduction of MAPT would result in depolymerizing neurofibrillary tangles and could be a potential strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other tauopathies. In this study, we report the development of novel DNAzymes and splice-modulating antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) for the efficient inhibition of MAPT. We designed and synthesized a range of DNAzymes and 2\u02b9-O-methyl (2\u2019-OMe)-modified AOs on a phosphorothioate (PS) backbone targeting various exons across the MAPT gene transcript. Our results demonstrated that RNV563, an arm-loop-arm-type DNAzyme targeting exon 13, and an AO candidate AO4, targeting exon 4, efficiently downregulated MAPT RNA expression by 58% and 96%, respectively. In addition, AO4 also reduced the MAPT protein level by 74%. In line with our results, we believe that AO4 could be used as a potential therapeutic molecule for Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other tauopathies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/genes11060667","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,19]],"date-time":"2020-06-19T10:43:58Z","timestamp":1592563438000},"page":"667","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Development of Novel Chemically-Modified Nucleic Acid Molecules for Efficient Inhibition of Human MAPT Gene Expression"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4146-0121","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Madhuri","family":"Chakravarthy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia"},{"name":"Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth 6150, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Suxiang","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia"},{"name":"Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth 6150, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tao","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia"},{"name":"Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth 6150, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2192-9532","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rakesh N.","family":"Veedu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia"},{"name":"Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth 6150, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1069","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ymthe.2017.03.023","article-title":"FDA-Approved Oligonucleotide Therapies in 2017","volume":"25","author":"Stein","year":"2017","journal-title":"Mol. 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