Title: Nucleic Acid Microparticles for Pulmonary Delivery
Number: 20090017124
Filed: April 17, 2008
Lead Inventor: Larry Brown, Baxter Healthcare
The invention, the patent application's abstract states, relates to "microparticle compositions in which the microparticles are made of nucleic acids and non-polymeric cations … suitable for administration to moist or aqueous target locations (e.g., the lung tissue)."
According to the abstract, "the substantially spherical nucleic acid microparticles release the nucleic acids through dissolution, allowing the released nucleic acids to freely interact with the target cells."
Title: Inhibition of Brain Enzymes Involved in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy and Macular Degeneration
Number: 20090018094
Filed: Nov. 30, 2007
Lead Inventor: Wolff Kirsch, Loma Linda University
The patent application, its abstract states, claims "a method of treating or inhibiting progress of dementia and/or macular degeneration in a mammal [that] involves administering compositions containing siRNA to heme oxygenase-1 or heme oxygenase-2, a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, a caspase inhibitor, or a metalloporphyrin in a manner that permits access to brain sites and/or the macula of the patient."
Title: Modification of Double-Stranded Ribonucleic Acid Molecules
Number: 20090018097
Filed: May 25, 2006 PCT Filed: May 25, 2006
Lead Inventor: Steven Quay, Nastech Pharmaceutical (MDRNA)
The invention, the patent application's abstract states, comprises "a double-stranded RNA molecule … between about 15 base pairs and about 40 base pairs [long], wherein at least one ribonucleotide of the dsRNA is a 5'-methyl-pyrimidine and/or at least one 2'-O-methyl ribonucleotide." The invention further comprises "a method of improving ribonuclease stability, reducing off-target effects of a double-stranded siRNA molecule, or of reducing interferon responsiveness of a double-stranded siRNA molecule using such dsRNA."
Title: Methods and Compositions for the Specific Inhibition of Gene Expression by Double-Stranded RNA
Number: 20090018321
Filed: June 12, 2008
Lead Inventor: John Rossi, City of Hope (Integrated DNA Technologies)
"The invention provides compositions and methods for selectively reducing the expression of a gene product from a desired target gene, as well as treating diseases caused by expression of the gene," the patent application's abstract states. "The method involves introducing into the environment of a cell an amount of a double-stranded RNA such that a sufficient portion of the dsRNA can enter the cytoplasm of the cell to cause a reduction in the expression of the target gene. The dsRNA has a first oligonucleotide sequence that is between 26 and about 30 nucleotides in length and a second oligonucleotide sequence that anneals to the first sequence under biological conditions. In addition, a region of one of the sequences of the dsRNA having a sequence length of from about 19 to about 23 nucleotides is complementary to a nucleotide sequence of the RNA produced from the target gene."
Title: Method of Screening [a] Compound Regulating the Translation of Specific mRNA
Number: 20090019042
Filed: Nov. 18, 2005 PCT Filed: Nov. 18, 2005
Lead Inventor: Shingo Nakamura, Takeda Pharmaceutical
The invention, the patent application's abstract states, "provides a screening method for a compound capable of preventing/treating a particular disease, which comprises a step for selecting one or more mRNAs whose regulation of translation can result in the prevention/treatment of the disease; a step for searching for mRNA(s) having a sequence, in the molecule, capable of assuming a local secondary structure capable of regulating the translation of the mRNA(s) from among the mRNAs selected in [the first step]; a step for selecting a particular sequence from among sequences capable of assuming a local secondary structure in the particular mRNA extracted in [the second step]; [and] a step for confirming that a partial structure capable of interacting with the compound in the particular sequence selected in [the third step] is not present in the region involved in the regulation of the translation of other mRNA, or even if present, is incapable of regulating the translation."
The screening method further involved "a step for bringing an RNA strand comprising a particular sequence confirmed to be not present in the region involved in the regulation of the translation of other mRNA in [the fourth step] and a test compound into contact with each other, and measuring changes in the stability of the secondary structure of the RNA strand," the abstract adds.