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lipophilic modifier
Due to the ribose-phosphate backbone oligonucleotides are hydrophilic and dissolve well in water or buffer. Adding a lipophilic modification to the oligonucleotide shifts its solubility, making it amphiphilic, so that it may be directed to lipophilic target sites such as membranes, lipids or hydrophobic proteins. The lipophilic moiety also enhances passage through lipid membranes and uptake into cells or tissues.
The utility of lipophilic modifications on oligonucleotides has been widely explored for drug delivery, in antisense, siRNA, and aptamer research, and for immunostimulatory oligos. They also found use in nanobiotechnology.