Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41315228›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

The nucleobase guanine at the 3'-terminus of oligonucleotide RGLS4326 drives off-target AMPAR inhibition and CNS toxicity.

Tania Valencia, Laura Y Yen, Cindy Berman, Thomas Vincent, Scott Davis, Francesca Varrone, Jianfeng Huang, Jessica Mastroianni, Morgan Carlson, Tate Owen and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. RNA therapeutics: current status and future directions.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2026
    Review
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  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Tania Valencia *Regulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Laura Y Yen *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Cindy BermanBerman Consulting, Wayland, MA, USA.
Thomas VincentRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Scott DavisRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Francesca VarroneRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1820-5955
Jianfeng HuangRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Jessica MastroianniRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Morgan CarlsonRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Tate OwenRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Amin KamelRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Denis DryginRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Garth A KinbergerRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
Shanti Pal GangwarCellular and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1024-7608
Maria V YelshanskayaCellular and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
John RidleyMetrion Biosciences Ltd, Granta Park, Cambridge, UK.
Robert KirbyMetrion Biosciences Ltd, Granta Park, Cambridge, UK.
Jesus AlvarezDepartment of Internal Medicine and Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Ronak LakhiaDepartment of Internal Medicine and Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4511-5341
Vishal PatelDepartment of Internal Medicine and Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2875-4659
Alexander I SobolevskyCellular and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Graduate Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. as4005@cumc.columbia.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5181-8644
Edmund C LeeRegulus Therapeutics Inc., San Diego, CA, USA. elee@regulusrx.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5843-247X

Funding

Pacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM - Screening supplementU24GM129547 · NIGMS · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI EVANS, JAMES E, GOUAUX, JAMES E · 2018 to 2023
$54.8M
The Stanford-SLAC CryoEM Center supplementU24GM129541 · NIGMS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI CHIU, WAH, HEDMAN, BRITT · 2018 to 2023
$54.8M
NCCAT: National Center for CryoEM Access and Training- Supplement for Windows 10 and FFIU24GM129539 · NIGMS · NEW YORK STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY CENTER · PI DE MARCO, ALEX, KIEFT, JEFFREY S · 2018 to 2023
$53.9M
Structure and Function of AMPA subtype ionotropic glutamate receptorsR01NS083660 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI KURNIKOVA, MARIA G, SOBOLEVSKY, ALEXANDER · 2013 to 2022
$4.3M
Structure and function of Transient Receptor Potential ChannelsR01CA206573 · NCI · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Alexander Sobolevsky · 2017 to 2026
$3.8M
The impact of RNA chemical modifications on polycystic kidney disease progressionR01DK102572 · NIDDK · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI PATEL, VISHAL · 2015 to 2024
$3.5M
Single-Particle Cryo-EM Characterization of AMPA Receptor Functional StatesR01NS107253 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Alexander Sobolevsky · 2018 to 2026
$3.5M
Structural and functional principles of activation and regulation of the transient receptor potential channel TRPV3.R01AR078814 · NIAMS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Alexander Sobolevsky · 2022 to 2026
$2.8M
PKD1 derepression as a potential therapy for Polycystic Kidney DiseaseR01DK133186 · NIDDK · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI Vishal Patel · 2022 to 2026
$2.7M
Structure and Function of Ionotropic Glutamate ReceptorsR37NS083660 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Alexander Sobolevsky · 2024 to 2026
$1.7M
Molecular regulation of Kainate receptorsR21NS139087 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI GANGWAR, SHANTI PAL · 2024 to 2024
$452k
Modulation of Heteromeric AMPA-Subtype iGluRs by Auxiliary SubunitsF31NS132554 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI YEN, LAURA YAUNHEE · 2024 to 2025
$105k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA206573NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR078814NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK102572NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK133186NIGMS NIH HHS U24 GM129539NIGMS NIH HHS U24 GM129541NIGMS NIH HHS U24 GM129547NINDS NIH HHS F31 NS132554NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS083660NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS107253NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS139087NINDS NIH HHS R37 NS083660
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Designing safe and effective oligonucleotide (ON) therapeutics requires thorough understanding of structural-activity relationship (SAR) with the intended on-target(s) as well as the unintended off-target(s). Despite encouraging pharmacodynamic activity in a Phase 1b study, development of the first-generation anti-miR-17 ON RGLS4326 for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease was discontinued due to dose-limiting central nervous system (CNS)-related toxicity observed in nonclinical chronic toxicity studies. Here, we provide SAR evidence that the nucleobase guanine at the 3'-terminus of RGLS4326 drives an unexpected off-target aptamer-like direct interaction with α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR), thereby causing CNS toxicity. By replacing the 3'-terminal guanine with adenine, we discover the next-generation anti-miR-17 RGLS8429 that is devoid of off-target AMPAR interaction and CNS toxicity while preserving the potency against the on-target miR-17. Here, we show a way to avoid off-target CNS effects and, more importantly, data that support the clinical development of RGLS8429.

Indexed as

Central Nervous SystemGuanineOligonucleotidesReceptors, AMPAAnimalsHEK293 CellsHumansMiceMicroRNAsStructure-Activity RelationshipGuanineMicroRNAsOligonucleotidesReceptors, AMPA

Identifiers

PMID41315228
PMCPMC12663328

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.