Locked nucleic acid

In locked nucleic acids (LNAs), the ribose ring is locked in a particular conformation by the introduction of a 2′-O-,4′-C methylene bridge, which increases the affinity for complementary RNA or DNA. LNAs are used to increase the sensitivity and specificity of molecular biology tools such as DNA microarrays and LNA-based oligonucleotides are being developed as antisense therapies.