Title: Transfection Method and Uses Related Thereto
Number: 6,951,757
Filed: March 4, 2003
Inventor: David Sabatini, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
The patent, its abstract states, covers "a method of introducing nucleic acid molecules into eukaryotic cells by … depositing a nucleic acid molecule-containing mixture onto a surface … affixing the nucleic acid molecule-containing mixture to the surface, and … plating eukaryotic cells onto the surface under appropriate conditions for entry of the nucleic acid molecules into the cells."
Title: Deprotection and Purification of Oligonucleotides and Their Derivatives
Number: 20050215777
Filed: Jan. 12, 2005
Lead Inventor: Chandra Vargeese, Sirna Therapeutics
The patent application, its abstract states, covers a "method for synthesis, deprotection, and/or purification of nucleic acid molecules, such as oligonucleotides comprising one or more ribonucleotides. Such nucleic acid molecules include siRNA, dsRNA, ribozymes, antisense, and aptamers."
Title: Inhibitor Oligonucleotides and Their Use for Specific Repression of a Gene
Number: 20050215497
Filed: Sept. 27, 2004 PCT Filed: Nov. 8, 2002
Lead Inventor: Annick Harel-Bellan, French National Center for Scientific Research
"The invention concerns a double-stranded oligonucleotide characterized in that it consists of two complementary oligonucleotide sequences forming a hybrid comprising each at one of their 3' or 5' ends one to five non-matched nucleotides forming single-stranded ends overlapping from the hybrid, one of said oligonucleotide sequences being substantially complementary of a target sequence belonging to a DNA or RNA molecule to be specifically repressed," the patent application's abstract states. "The invention also concerns the use of said oligonucleotides in pharmaceutical compositions for treating cancers."
Title: siRNA Knockout Assay Method and Constructs
Number: 20050214851
Filed: May 13, 2005
Lead Inventor: Gert-Jan Arts, Galapagos
According to its abstract, the patent application covers "isolated polynucleotides, and vectors including the same … useful for down-regulation of specific RNA in cells, including a first sequence of about 17 to about 23 nucleotides, complementary to said RNA, and linked to a second sequence capable of forming a loop when said second sequence is RNA. The polynucleotides include self-complementing single-stranded polynucleotides, including a third sequence linked by said second sequence where all nucleotides in said first and said third sequences are complementary.
"Functional genomic, diagnostic and therapeutic methods are disclosed that involve reducing the amount of a unique RNA sequence in cells using a vector encoding the self-complementing polynucleotide including a first sequence complementary to said RNA sequence," the abstract adds. "Methods are also disclosed for preparing the polynucleotides, vectors, libraries of vectors, and the temporary knock-down of proteins, such as lethal proteins, during virus or recombinant protein production."
Title: Manipulation of RNA Interference Through Modulation of Armitage Activity
Number: 20050214818
Filed: Dec. 20, 2004
Lead Inventor: William Theurkauf, University of Massachusetts
The invention, the patent application's abstract states, "relates to the discovery of both developmental and RNA interference roles for the armitage (armi) gene and its encoded polypeptide, Armitage (Armi). RNA interference requires a set of conserved cellular factors to suppress gene expression. These factors are the components of the RNAi pathway. The methods described herein are useful for modulating the RNAi pathway both experimentally and therapeutically--by directedly impacting Armi activity," the abstract notes.
Title: Methods and Means for Gene Silencing in Plants
Number: 20050214263
Filed: Jan. 14, 2005 PCT Filed: Dec. 5, 2002
Lead Inventor: Fabian Vaistij, Sainsbury Laboratory
According to the patent application's abstract, the invention comprises "methods of silencing a target gene in an organism, which methods comprises the steps of: providing a recombinant DNA construct including an expression cassette comprising: a promoter, operably linked to a chimeric nucleotide sequence encoding all or part of the target gene and a transgene, transforming the organism with said DNA construct such that the expression cassette is inserted into the genome, and initiating post transcriptional gene silencing of said transgene in said organism, whereby initiation of PTGS of the transgene causes silencing of the target gene in the organism. The methods are based on a phenomenon termed 'spreading' whereby PTGS of the transgene can be used to spread in trans to silence, for example, endogenous target genes in the same genetic background as the chimeric gene to give consistent, maintained, silencing thereof. Also provided are related materials (e.g. recombinant constructs) and uses and methods based on these," the abstract states.