Title: Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting Expression of Huntingtin Gene
Patent Number: 8,080,532
Filed: April 2, 2009
Lead Inventor: Dinah Sah, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
“The invention relates to a double-stranded ribonucleic acid for inhibiting the expression of the huntingtin gene comprising an antisense strand having a nucleotide sequence which is less than 25 nucleotides in length and which is substantially complementary to at least a part of the ... gene,” the patent's abstract states. “The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the dsRNA together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; methods for treating diseases caused by the expression of the [huntingtin] gene, or a mutant form thereof, using the pharmaceutical composition; and methods for inhibiting the expression of the huntingtin gene in a cell.”
Title: Targeting PAX2 for the Treatment of Breast Cancer
Patent Number: 8,080,534
Filed: Feb. 18, 2010
Inventor: Carlton Donald, Phigenix
The invention comprises “methods of prevention and/or treatment of breast cancer in a subject by inhibiting expression of PAX2,” according to the patent's abstract. “In the certain embodiments, the method of inhibiting expression of PAX2 is to administrate the subject a nucleic acid encoding an siRNA for PAX2.”
Title: Pesticidal Double-Stranded RNA Composition and Method of Use Thereof
Patent Number: 8,080,648
Filed: March 9, 2007
Lead Inventor: Julia Pridgeon, US Department of Agriculture
The invention, the patent's abstract states, comprises a “pesticidal compound that regulates programmed cell death pathways via the topical application of double-strand RNA. ... The compound is constructed as a specific-target pesticide that is a biosafe nucleic acid pesticide for pest control.”
Title: Methods for Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Application Number: 20110305675
Filed: Jan. 21, 2010
Lead Inventor: David Scadden, Massachusetts General Hospital
The patent application claims “methods and compositions for expanding hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells ex vivo and in vivo, and methods and compositions for transplanting HSPCs and treatment of anemia in a human subject,” its abstract states. “HSPCs are expanded in the presence of an inhibitor of serine threonine kinase 38, wherein said inhibitor is preferably an RNAi agent.”
Title: Compositions and Methods for Ex Vivo Hepatic Nucleic Acid Delivery
Application Number: 20110305772
Filed: Feb. 26, 2010
Inventor: Andrew Cameron, Johns Hopkins University
“The invention provides compositions and methods for delivery of nucleic acids to the liver ex vivo,” according to the patent application's abstract. “The method includes slow, low pressure infusion of the nucleic acid into the liver to efficiently transduce cells with minimal cell damage.”
Title: RNA Interference-Mediating Small RNA Molecules
Application Number: 20110306651
Filed: July 12, 2010
Lead Inventor: Thomas Tuschl, Max Planck Institute
“Double-stranded RNA induces sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing in many organisms by a process known as RNA interference,” the patent application's abstract states. “Using a Drosophila in vitro system, we demonstrate that [19 to 23 nucleotide-long] short RNA fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNAi. The short interfering RNAs are generated by an RNase III-like processing reaction from long dsRNA. Chemically synthesized siRNA duplexes with overhanging 3' ends mediate efficient target RNA cleavage in the lysate, and the cleavage site is located near the center of the region spanned by the guiding siRNA. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the direction of dsRNA processing determines whether sense or antisense target RNA can be cleaved by the produced siRNP complex.”