Brenda F. Baker

Research Statement

AI generated · Oct 28, 2026

Brenda F. Baker's indexed work centers on chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides and RNA-targeted therapeutics, spanning mechanistic studies of how modified backbones and sugar chemistries influence silencing activity. Her early first-author work examined 2′-O-(2-methoxy)ethyl-modified anti-ICAM-1 oligonucleotides and their unexpected effects on translation initiation, while later senior-author studies compared siRNA versus RNase H-dependent antisense agents for reducing target RNAs and explored 2′-O-methylribonucleotide-modified sense strands in Argonaute2-dependent silencing. Her most-cited review, RNA-targeted therapeutics, synthesizes this line of inquiry. Beyond these mechanistic studies, Baker contributed to clinical translation of antisense drugs, including inotersen for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis and antisense inhibition of apolipoprotein C-III in hypertriglyceridemia, both middle-author contributions to high-impact trials. Her work also extends to antisense oligonucleotide blockade of TNF-α in murine colitis models and alicaforsen enema for ulcerative colitis. No software, datasets, patents, or grants are indexed beyond her publications. Across these outputs, her contributions trace a consistent arc from oligonucleotide chemistry and mechanism toward therapeutic application in inflammatory and metabolic disease.

Most Cited Works

Antisense technology: an overview and prospectus

Stanley T Crooke, Brenda F Baker, Rosanne M Crooke, Xue-Hai Liang

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery2021

778Citations

Antisense technology: A review

Stanley T Crooke, Xue-Hai Liang, Brenda F Baker, Rosanne M Crooke

Journal of Biological Chemistry2021

339Citations

Research Areas

DNA and Nucleic Acid ChemistryRNA Interference and Gene DeliveryLipoproteins and Cardiovascular HealthLipid metabolism and disordersCholesterol and Lipid Metabolism

Affiliations & Education

Education

1983–1988
California Institute of Technology(US)
PhD · Chemistry
1978–1982
Colorado State University(US)
B.Sc. · Chemistry

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