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IP Update: Recent Patents, Patent Applications Awarded to Alnylam, Marina, UMass, and More

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Title: Methods and Compositions for Silencing Genes without Inducing Toxicity

Patent Number: 8,299,042

Filed: Sept. 24, 2008

Lead Inventor: Catherine Pachuk, Nucleonics (Alnylam Pharmaceuticals)

The ... invention, the patent's abstract states, “provides methods of post-transcriptional gene silencing [that] involve the use of a ... dsRNA having substantial sequence identity to a target nucleic acid and a short, second dsRNA [that] inhibits dsRNA-mediated toxicity. These methods can be used to prevent or treat a disease or infection by silencing a gene associated with the disease or infection. The invention also provides methods for identifying nucleic acid sequences that modulate a detectable phenotype, including the function of a cell, the expression of a gene, or the biological activity of a target polypeptide.”


Title: Adenoviral VA1 Pol III Expression System for RNAi Expression

Patent Number: 8,299,045

Filed: Aug. 25, 2011

Lead Inventor: John Rossi, City of Hope

The invention comprises “an adenoviral VA1 Pol III expression system for RNAi expression,” the patent's abstract states.


Title: siRNA Hat Inhibits WT1 Gene Expression and Uses Thereof

Patent Number: 8,299,234

Filed: March 29, 2005

Lead Inventor: Haruo Sugiyama, International Institute of Cancer Immunology

According to the patent's abstract, “siRNAs targeting the 17AA site of the WT1 gene not only suppress the expression of the WT1 gene, but also demonstrate remarkable cell growth-suppressing effects and cell death-inducing effects in cancer cell lines.”


Title: RNA Molecules and Vectors for Gene Silencing

Patent Number: 8,299,235

Filed: Dec. 17, 2004

Lead Inventor: David Baulcombe, Plant Bioscience Limited

The invention, the patent's abstract states, comprises “compositions for gene silencing by providing short RNA molecules to cells.”


Title: Compositions and Methods for Enhancing Delivery of Nucleic Acids into Cells and for Modifying Expression of Target Genes in Cells

Patent Number: 8,299,236

Filed: Sept. 8, 2008

Lead Inventor: Lishan Chen, Marina Biotech

“Polynucleotide delivery-enhancing polypeptides are admixed or complexed with, or conjugated to, nucleic acids for enhancing delivery the nucleic acids into cells,” the patent's abstract states. “The transported nucleic acids are active in target cells as small inhibitory nucleic acids that modulate expression of target genes, mediated at least in part by RNA interference. The siNA/polypeptide compositions and methods of the invention provide effective tools to modulate gene expression and alter phenotype in mammalian cells, including by altering phenotype in a manner that eliminates disease symptoms or alters disease potential in targeted cells or subject individuals to which the siNA/polypeptide compositions are administered.”


Title: siRNA Targeting Fructose-1, 6-Biphosphatase

Patent Number: 8,304,528

Filed: Dec. 3, 2009

Lead Inventor: Anastasia Khvorova, Dharmacon (Thermo Fisher Scientific)'

“Efficient sequence-specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology,” the patent's abstract states. “By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene-silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to nucleotide sequences for FBP1.”


Title: Methods and Compositions for Enhancing the Efficacy and Specificity of RNA Silencing

Patent Number: 8,304,530

Filed: March 23, 2010

Lead Inventor: Phillip Zamore, University of Massachusetts

The invention, the patent's abstract states, “provides methods of enhancing the efficacy and specificity of RNA silencing. The invention also provides compositions for mediating RNA silencing. In particular, the invention provides siRNAs, siRNA-like molecules, shRNAs, vectors and transgenes having improved specificity and efficacy in mediating silencing of a target gene. Therapeutic methods are also featured.”


Title: Method of Inducing an Immune Response

Application Number: 20120269850

Filed: June 21, 2012

Lead Inventor: Nigel McMillan, University of Queensland

The invention, the patent application's abstract states, comprises “a method ... for inducing or enhancing an immune response in a mammal to a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of the mammal.” The method involves “administering to the mammal an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of a ribonucleic acid [that] encodes [the] polypeptide. Also provided is a pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of an RNA [that] encodes a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of a mammal.”


Title: microRNA-140-5P as a Tumor Suppressor and Sensitizing Agent for Chemotherapy

Application Number: 20120269883

Filed: April 23, 2012

Lead Inventor: Preethi Gunaratne, University of Houston

The invention relates to “a method of improving a therapeutic response to a cancer treatment … [by] administering an effective amount of an agent that enhances the expression of microRNA-140-5p or an agent that mimics the effects of microRNA-140-5p,” according to the patent application's abstract. “Further provided is a method of treating a cancer … [by] administering an effective amount of a microRNA-140-5p or an agent that enhances the expression of microRNA-140-5p.”


Title: Method for Analyzing Secretome, Biomarker for Lung Cancer Metastasis, and siRNA Compound for Inhibiting Lung Cancer Metastasis

Application Number: 20120270254

Filed: Dec. 27, 2011

Lead Inventor: Pao-Chi Liao, National Cheng Kung University

The invention comprises “a method for analyzing [the] secretome, a biomarker for lung cancer metastasis, and a siRNA compound for inhibiting lung cancer metastasis,” according to the patent application's abstract.


Title: Alternative Export Pathways for Vector-Expressed RNA Interference

Application Number: 20120270317

Filed: June 21, 2012

Lead Inventor: Scott Harper, University of Iowa

The invention is “directed to nucleic acid molecules containing a loop sequence designed to circumvent exportin-5 mediated export, and methods using these novel molecules,” according to the patent application's abstract.


Title: siRNA Targeting Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase Homolog 2

Application Number: 20120270751

Filed: July 2, 2012

Lead Inventor: Anastasia Khvorova, Dharmacon (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

“Efficient sequence-specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology,” the patent application's abstract states. “By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene-silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to nucleotide sequences for DGAT2.”


Title: Lipid-Formulated Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting Expression of a Gene from the Ebola Virus

Application Number: 20120270921

Filed: Aug. 13, 2010

Lead Inventor: Antonin de Fougerolles, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

“The invention relates to lipid formulated double-stranded ribonucleic acid for inhibiting the expression of a gene from the Ebola virus,” the patent application's abstract states.


Title: siRNA Targeting Apolipoprotein

Application Number: 20120270926

Filed: June 28, 2012

Lead Inventor: Anastasia Khvorova, Dharmacon (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

“Efficient sequence-specific gene silencing is possible through the use of siRNA technology,” the patent application's abstract states. “By selecting particular siRNAs by rational design, one can maximize the generation of an effective gene-silencing reagent, as well as methods for silencing genes. Methods, compositions, and kits generated through rational design of siRNAs are disclosed including those directed to nucleotide sequences for ApoB.”


Title: Polyamides for Nucleic Acid Delivery

Application Number: 20120270927

Filed: July 3, 2012

Inventor: Theresa Reineke, University of Minnesota

The invention, the patent application's abstract states, comprises “a new class of non-viral transduction vectors that can be used for both in vivo and in vitro applications, including, a gene transfer vector that has comparable efficiency to a viral vector without the potential for a life-threatening immune response. … Complexes including a cellular delivery molecule or agent that can facilitate the translocation of the complex or portion thereof into cells is also provided. The cellular delivery molecules may include one or more polymers.”


Title: Identification of RNAi Targets and Use of RNAi for Rational Therapy of Chemotherapy-Resistant Leukemia and Other Cancers

Application Number: 20120272346

Filed: March 29, 2010

Lead Inventor: Bruce Stillman, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

The patent application, its abstract states, claims “a mosaic mouse model for use in determining the potency of an shRNA in vivo for reducing survival of cancer cells of chemotherapy-resistant leukemia. The syngeneic mouse recipient is transplanted with tet-on competent leukemia cells carrying a bi-cistronic nucleic acid construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a fusion gene associated with chemotherapy-resistant leukemia, and a sequence encoding a reverse tet-transactivator protein, such that both coding sequences are co-expressed from the promoter. Also provided are methods of treating soft tissue cancers.”


Title: Nucleic Acid-Containing Lipid Particles and Related Methods

Application Number: 20120276209

Filed: May 4, 2012

Lead Inventor: Pieter Cullis, University of British Columbia

The patent application, its abstract states, claims “lipid particles containing a nucleic acid, devices, and methods for making the lipid particles, and methods for using the lipid particles.”


Title: Means and Methods for the Specific Modulation of Target Genes in the CNS and the Eye and Methods for Their Identification

Application Number: 20120277288

Filed: June 11, 2012

Lead Inventor: Karina Drumm, Acuity Pharmaceuticals (Opko Health)

The patent application, its abstract states, claims “methods for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system and the eye. In particular, use of compositions comprising a compound capable of modulating a target gene or gene product is described for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of disorders of the CNS and/or the eye, wherein the composition is designed to be administered outside the blood-CNS and the blood-retina barriers. Furthermore, methods are provided for identifying and obtaining nucleic acid molecules encoding polypeptides involved in CNS disorders or of the eye, methods for diagnosing said disorders, as well as transgenic animal deficient in the expression of target genes. ... In addition, methods of identifying and isolating drugs that are particularly useful for the treatment of disorders related to the CNS and/or the eye are disclosed.”


Title: Activity-Generating Delivery Molecules

Application Number: 20120277289

Filed: Nov. 4, 2010

Lead Inventor: Renata Fam, Marina Biotech

The invention, the patent application's abstract states, comprises “activity-generating delivery molecules ... compositions and methods of use thereof. The activity-generating delivery compounds and compositions are useful for generating activity of an active agent in a cell, tissue, or subject.”

The Scan

Study Examines Insights Gained by Adjunct Trio RNA Sequencing in Complex Pediatric Disease Cases

Researchers in AJHG explore the diagnostic utility of adding parent-child RNA-seq to genome sequencing in dozens of families with complex, undiagnosed genetic disease.

Clinical Genomic Lab Survey Looks at Workforce Needs

Investigators use a survey approach in Genetics in Medicine Open to assess technologist applications, retention, and workforce gaps at molecular genetics and clinical cytogenetics labs in the US.

Study Considers Gene Regulatory Features Available by Sequence-Based Modeling

Investigators in Genome Biology set sequence-based models against observational and perturbation assay data, finding distal enhancer models lag behind promoter predictions.

Genetic Testing Approach Explores Origins of Blastocyst Aneuploidy

Investigators in AJHG distinguish between aneuploidy events related to meiotic missegregation in haploid cells and those involving post-zygotic mitotic errors and mosaicism.