Figure 3.

Comparison of antisense with antibody approach to knockdown nerve growth factor (NGF) overexpression in bladder. NGF is implicated as a chemical mediator of pathology-induced changes in C-fiber afferent nerve excitability linked to reflex bladder activity leading up to overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. Antibodies physically block the receptor binding of NGF, whereas sequence-specific gene silencing blocks the NGF synthesis. Because NGF is a target (bladder) derived trophic protein (ie, synthesized in bladder), it is an ideal candidate for intravesical antisense therapeutics.