Polyplus develops new class of modified oligonucleotides

Strasbourg, France-based Polyplus-transfection, a company specialized in innovative reagents for transfection and RNA interference (RNAi), says that it has developed a new class of cationic oligonucleotides. These are called "ZNA" and have a promising potential in molecular biology. Polyplus owns the intellectual property.

The company has recently established proof of concept showing that ZNA used as detection probes improve PCR technology performance. In particular, the agents increase the sensitivity of tests and the ability to detect mutations. As well as presenting a similar efficacy to the best modified oligonucleotides on the market, ZNAs possess major advantages compared to competing products. They are easy to design and will cost less to produce, the firm notes.

ZNAs offer an increased affinity for nucleic acids without losing selectivity and, therefore, will improve the performance of other molecular hybridization techniques such as in situ hybridization and microarrays. They could also be used for in vitro detection of micro-RNAs, a new class of intracellular effectors. This means that ZNAs are likely to become powerful and reliable tools in research and diagnostics, according to Polyplus.