Table 3 Methodological characteristics of chemical and biological therapeutic tools*

2'-Ome AMOs

Modified 2-OH residues of the ribose 2'-O-methyl

Inhibition of mature miRNA

RNA-liposome complex; conjugation of a cholesterol

Silence oncomiR

2'-MOE AMOs

Modified 2-OH residues of the ribose 2'-O-methoxyethyl

Inhibition of mature miRNA

Oligonucleotide-liposome complex; conjugation of a cholesterol

Silence oncomiR

AMOs (RNase H-based)

Contains a short stretch of centrally located 2' deoxy residues

Inhibition of pri-miRNA

Oligonucleotide-liposome complex; conjugation of a cholesterol

Silence polycistronic miRNA cluster

LNA-antagomiR

Contains one or more nucleotide building blocks in which an extra methylene bridge fixes the ribose moiety either in C3'-endo or C2'-endo conformation¹

Inhibition of mature miRNA

Unconjugated

Silence oncomiR

pre-miRNA-like shRNAs

Natural pre-miRNA, for a more persistent miRNA replacement

Replacement of mature miRNA

Plasmid or viral vector with either polymerase II or III promoter upstream of a shRNA

Restore tumor suppressor miRNA

Double-stranded miRNA mimetics

Equivalent to endogenous Dicer product; analogous structure to an siRNA

Replacement of mature miRNA

Oligonucleotide-liposome complex; conjugation of a cholesterol; linking with delivery proteins; other nanotechnology-based conjugation; transgene approach

Restore tumor suppressor miRNA

Synthetic miRNAs

Designed related target mRNA

Selected silence target

Conjugation of a protein interaction target

Tumor suppressor role

'miRNA sponges'

Multiple miRNA binding sites into the 3' UTR of a reporter gene encoding destabilized GFP driven by the CMV promoter

Inhibition of mature miRNA cluster

Sponge plasmid vector

Silence oncomiR family