Title: LPS-Responsive Chs1/Beige-Like Anchor Gene and Therapeutic Applications Thereof. Number: 20040235765. Filed: March 18, 2004. PCT Filed: April 2, 2002. Lead Inventor: William Kerr, University of South Florida College of Medicine.
According to the patent application’s abstract, the invention “relates to a novel LPS-responsive and Beige-like Anchor gene, variants of the lrba gene, fragments of the lrba gene, and polypeptides encoded thereby. The subject invention also pertains to lrba-interfering RNA and uses thereof,” it adds. “In another aspect, the present invention ... includes methods of inhibiting tumor growth in a patient by suppressing lrba function.”
Title: Intravenous Delivery of Polynucleotides to Cells in Mammalian Limb. Number: 20040242528. Filed: May 27, 2004. Lead Inventor: James Hagstrom, Mirus.
The patent application covers “an intravenous delivery method … that enables delivery of polynucleotides to extravascular cells of a mammalian limb,” its abstract states. “The method involves the injection of polynucleotides into a distal vein of a limb that is transiently occluded. Polynucleotide delivery is facilitated by rapid injection in sufficient volume to enable extravasation of the solution into surrounding tissue,” the abstract adds.
Title: Disruption of the Reg Pathway. Number: 20040242526. Filed: April 8, 2004. Lead Inventor: Brian Dieckgraefe, Washington University School of Medicine.
According to the patent application’s abstract, the invention comprises the “disruption of the Reg signaling pathway, [which] permits spontaneous and therapeutic induction of pro-apoptotic signals to be more effective. Disruption can be accomplished by means of antibodies, antisense, RNA interference, small molecule inhibitors, etc. These can be used in conjunction with conventional anti-neoplastic therapies,” the abstract notes. “Inhibitors can be identified by assays that monitor the disruption of the binding of Reg ligands and the Reg ligand receptor.”
Title: Thio-siRNA Aptamers. Number: 20040242521. Filed: Jan. 15, 2004. Lead Inventor: David Gorenstein, University of Texas.
The invention “includes thioaptamers, methods and libraries for the isolation, selection, improvement, characterization, and use of RNA thioaptamers for gene silencing, including degradative and non-degradative interference with translation,” the patent application’s abstract states.
Title: Influenza Therapeutic. Number: 20040242518. Filed: Sept. 29, 2003. Lead Inventor: Jianzhu Chen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Galenea).
The invention comprises “methods and compositions for inhibiting influenza infection and/or replication based on the phenomenon of RNA interference, well as systems for identifying effective siRNAs and shRNAs for inhibiting influenza virus and systems for studying influenza virus infective mechanisms,” the patent application’s abstract states. “The invention also provides methods and compositions for inhibiting infection, pathogenicity, and/or replication of other infectious agents, particularly those that infect cells that are directly accessible from outside the body, e.g., skin cells or mucosal cells. In addition, the invention provides compositions comprising an RNAi-inducing entity … or RNAi-inducing vector targeted to an influenza virus transcript and any of a variety of delivery agents.”
The abstract adds that “the invention further includes methods of use of the compositions for treatment of influenza.”
Title: SiRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing. Number: 20040241854. Filed: Dec. 16, 2003. Lead Inventor: Beverly Davidson, University of Iowa.
“The … invention is directed to small-interfering RNA molecules targeted against an allele of interest, and methods of using these siRNA molecules,” the patent application’s abstract states.