Case study: use of a library of antisense inhibitors for gene functionalization and drug target validation

The genomics revolution of the past decade has allowed the sequences of all human genes to be determined. The challenge for the future is to establish the functions of all of these genes. Antisense technology is a powerful tool for gene functionalization. This review describes a system used to test antisense oligonucleotides to over 2000 genes in multiple cell-based assays. These assays were designed to help assign gene function. The data generated from these assays is subsequently added to a searchable database that allows potential drug targets to be identified.