Glossary
Phosphorothioate linkage (PS backbone)
A backbone modification that swaps an oxygen for sulfur, making an oligo far more resistant to enzymes.
A phosphorothioate linkage replaces one of the non bridging oxygen atoms in the phosphate backbone with sulfur. This slows degradation by nucleases and increases binding to plasma proteins, extending how long the oligo stays active in the body.
It is the most common modification in approved single stranded oligonucleotide drugs.
Related terms
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