Peptide nucleic acids and their role in gene regulation and editing

The unique properties of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) makes it a desirable candidate to be used in therapeutic and biotechnological interventions. It has been broadly utilized for numerous applications, with a major focus in regulation of gene expression, and more recently in gene editing. While the classic PNA design has mainly been employed to date, chemical modifications of the PNA backbone and nucleobases provide an avenue to advance the technology further. This review aims to discuss the recent developments in PNA based gene manipulation techniques and the use of novel chemical modifications to improve the current state of PNA mediated gene targeting.