Zamecnick and Stephenson reported the first example of specific inhibition of gene expression by an oligonucleotide when they demonstrated that a short oligonucleotide inhibited Rous sarcoma virus replication in cell culture. This work on gene expression modulation led to antisense therapy, or antisense therapeutics. Digital facsimile from PubMedCentral at this link.
Followed in the same journal issue by Zamecnik and Stephenson, "Inhibition of Rous viral RNA translation by a specific oligodeoxyribonucleotide (in vitro protein synthesis / nucleic acid hybridization / DNA nucleotidyltransferase)," Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA), 75, 285-288. Digital facsimile from pnas.org at this link.