Title: Short Interfering RNAs Having a Hairpin Structure Containing a Non-Nucleotide Loop. Number: 20040058886. Filed: Aug. 5, 2003. Inventor: Stephen Scaringe, Dharmacon.
According to the patent application’s abstract, the invention “provides a short interfering hairpin RNA having the structure X1-L-X2, wherein X1 and X2 are nucleotide sequences having sufficient complementarity to one anther to form a double-stranded stem hybrid and L is a loop region comprising a non-nucleotide linker molecule, wherein at least a portion of one of the nucleotide sequences located within the double-stranded stem is complementary to a sequence of said target RNA.”
Title: Method and Reagent for Inhibiting Hepatitis B Viral Replication. Number: 20040054156. Filed: Jan. 15, 2003. Lead Inventor: Kenneth Draper, Sirna Therapeutics.
The patent application’s abstract states that the invention “relates to nucleic acid molecules, including antisense and enzymatic nucleic acid molecules, such as hammerhead ribozymes, DNAzymes, inozymes, zinzymes, amberzymes, and G-cleaver ribozymes, which modulate the synthesis, expression and/or stability of an RNA encoding one or more protein components of Hepatitis B virus (HBV).” The abstract adds that “methods for their use alone or in combination with other therapies, such as … lamivudine and interferons are disclosed.”