Title: Vector
Patent Number: 8,501,466
Filed: Dec. 17, 2009
Lead Inventor: Venugopal Nair, Pirbright Institute
The invention, the patent’s abstract states, relates to a “herpes virus vector [comprising] a modified genomic sequence encoding a microRNA against a target sequence. The herpes virus vector may be used as or in a vaccine to prevent and/or treat a disease.”
Title: Duplex Oligonucleotide Complexes and Methods for Gene Silencing by RNA Interference
Patent Number: 8,501,706
Filed: July 19, 2012
Lead Inventor: Christina Yamada, Dharmacon (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
The invention comprises “duplex oligonucleotide complexes [that] can be administered to a cell, tissue, or organism to silence a target gene without the aid of a transfection reagent,” according to the patent’s abstract. “The duplex oligonucleotide complexes of the disclosure include a conjugate moiety that facilitates delivery to a cell, tissue, or organism.”
Title: Amino Acid Lipid and Uses Thereof
Patent Number: 8,501,824
Filed: March 30, 2011
Lead Inventor: Steven Quay, Marina Biotech
The patent, its abstract states, claims “a range of amino acid lipid compounds and compositions useful for drug delivery, therapeutics, and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions. The amino acid lipid compounds and compositions can be used for delivery of various agents such as nucleic acid therapeutics to cells, tissues, organs, and subjects.”
Title: Peptide-based In Vivo siRNA Delivery System
Patent Number: 8,501,930
Filed: Dec. 15, 2011
Lead Inventor: David Rozema, Arrowhead Research
The invention, the patent’s abstract states, “is directed compositions for targeted delivery of RNA interference polynucleotides to hepatocytes in vivo. Targeted RNAi polynucleotides are administered together with co-targeted melittin delivery peptides. Delivery peptides provide membrane penetration function for movement of the RNAi polynucleotides from outside the cell to inside the cell. Reversible modification provides physiological responsiveness to the delivery peptides.”
Title: Biodegradable Lipids for the Delivery of Active Agents
Application Number: 20130195920
Filed: Dec. 7, 2012
Lead Inventor: Martin Maier, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
The invention, the patent application’s abstract states, relates to “a cationic lipid having one or more biodegradable groups located in a lipidic moiety of the cationic lipid. These cationic lipids may be incorporated into a lipid particle for delivering an active agent, such as a nucleic acid. The invention also relates to lipid particles comprising a neutral lipid, a lipid capable of reducing aggregation, a cationic lipid of the present invention, and optionally, a sterol. The lipid particle may further include a therapeutic agent such as a nucleic acid.”
Title: Double-Stranded RNA Oligonucleotides [that] Inhibit Tyrosinase Expression
Application Number: 20130195966
Filed: March 11, 2013
Lead Inventor: Christine Collin-Djangone, L’Oreal
The invention comprises “novel double-stranded RNA oligonucleotides [that] are useful for decreasing tyrosinase expression, [and] have cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical applications,” the patent application’s abstract states.
Title: Method of Producing Dicer
Application Number: 20130196383
Filed: Aug. 2, 2012
Lead Inventor: Jennifer Doudna, University of California, Berkeley
The patent application, its abstract states, “provides a method for producing a Dicer polypeptide in a prokaryotic host cell … [as well as] a purified Dicer complex … [and] kits for producing a Dicer polypeptide in a prokaryotic host cell.”
Title: Enhancement of siRNA Silencing Activity using Universal Bases or Mismatches in the Sense Strand
Application Number: 20130196434
Filed: March 20, 2013
Lead Inventor: Martin Maier, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
The invention relates to a “double-stranded nucleic acid … that has a sense strand and an antisense strand relative to a target nucleic acid, where the sense strand contains one or more modified nucleobases or one or more mismatch base pairings with the antisense strand,” according to the patent application’s abstract. “Another aspect of the … invention relates to a single-stranded oligonucleotide comprising at least one nucleoside comprising a non-natural nucleobase. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of gene silencing, comprising administering to a mammal in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a double-stranded oligonucleotides containing a sense strand and an antisense strand, where the sense strand contains one or more modified nucleobases, or one or more mismatch base pairings with the antisense strand.”
Title: Inhibition of PCSK9 through RNAi
Application Number: 20130197055
Filed: Jan. 5, 2010
Lead Inventor: Joanne Kamens, RXi Pharmaceuticals
“The invention relates to various PCSK9 RNAi constructs with gene silencing activities and uses thereof,” the patent application’s abstract states. “The construct has a double-stranded region of 19-49 nucleotides, preferably 25, 26, or 27 nucleotides, and preferably blunt-ended. The construct has selective minimal modifications to confer an optimal balance of biological activity, toxicity, stability, and target gene specificity. The sense strand may be modified such that the construct is not cleaved by Dicer or … RNAse III, and the entire length of the antisense strand is loaded into RISC. In addition, the antisense strand may also be modified by 2'-O-methyl groups at the [second] 5'-end nucleotide to greatly reduce off-target silencing. The constructs of the invention largely avoid the interferon response and sequence-independent apoptosis in mammalian cells, exhibits better serum stability, and enhanced target specificity.”
Title: microRNA Patterns for the Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment of Melanoma
Application Number: 20130197060
Filed: Aug. 1, 2011
Lead Inventor: Gal Markel, Tel Aviv University
The invention, the patent application’s abstract states, relates to “methods for diagnosing, staging, prognosticating, and treating melanoma based on evaluating the expression of specific patterns of oncogenic or suppressive microRNA molecules in a patient in need thereof.”
Title: Agent for Suppressing Expression of Dominant Mutant Gene
Application Number: 20130197061
Filed: Sept. 28, 2011
Lead Inventor: Hirohiko Hohjoh, National Institute of Neuroscience, Japan
The invention comprises an “RNAi molecule that can selectively and effectively suppress only the expression of a particular dominant mutant gene, while permitting the expression of the wild-type gene or a desired mutant gene,” as well as a method of designing such a molecule, the patent application’s abstract states.