Title: RNA Interference-Mediated Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Short Interfering Nucleic Acid
Number: 20070161596
Filed: March 9, 2007
Lead Inventor: James McSwiggen, Sirna Therapeutics (Merck)
“This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating beta-secretase, amyloid precursor protein, PIN-1, presenillin 1, and/or presenillin 2 gene expression using short interfering nucleic acid molecules,” the patent application’s abstract states. “This invention also relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating the expression and activity of other genes involved in pathways of BACE, APP, PIN-1, PS-1, and/or PS-2 gene expression and/or activity by RNA interference using small nucleic acid molecules.”
Title: Method of Treating Neurodegenerative Disease
Number: 20070161595
Filed: Oct. 12, 2006
Lead Inventor: David Bumcrot, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
“Aspects featured in the invention relate to compositions and methods for inhibiting alpha-synuclein gene expression, such as for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders,” the patent application’s abstract states.” An anti-SNCA agent featured herein that targets the SNCA gene can have been modified to alter distribution in favor of neural cells.”
Specifically, the application claims the use of an RNAi agent with an antisense strand complementary to a nucleotide sequence of an alpha-synuclein RNA and a sense strand sufficiently complementary to hybridize to the antisense strand.
Title: Methods and Compositions for Treating Neurological Disease
Number: 20070161591
Filed: Aug. 18, 2006
Lead Inventor: Neil Aronin, University of Massachusetts Medical School (Alnylam Pharmaceuticals)
“This invention relates to methods and compositions for treating neurological disease, and more particularly to methods of delivering [RNAi] agents to neural cells for the treatment of neurological diseases,” the patent application’s abstract states.
Title: Modulating Cancer Cell Characteristics
Number: 20070161588
Filed: May 16, 2006
Lead Inventor: Michael Lawman, University of South Florida
According to the patent application’s abstract, “the hedgehog pathway in cerebellar cancer cells was modulated with siRNA specifically targeted to the shh and gli-I genes. Silencing of the two genes in a medullablastoma cell line transfected with the siRNAs caused significant reduction of mRNA specific for the targeted shh and gli-I genes and a loss of protein expression. The disclosed methods and compositions may be useful for treatment of a range of primitive neuroectodermal tumors by shutting down or modulating the expression of gene products associated with the hedgehog pathway.”
Title: Modulation of Survivin Expression
Number: 20070161547
Filed: June 3, 2004 PCT Filed: June 3, 2004
Lead Inventor: Balkrishen Bhat, Eli Lilly
The patent application, its abstract states, claims “compounds and compositions … for modulating the expression of survivin. The compounds, exemplified by those acting through an RNAi antisense mechanism of action, include double-stranded and single-stranded constructs, as well as siRNAs, canonical siRNAs, blunt-ended siRNAs, and single-stranded antisense RNA compounds. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of survivin expression and for treatment of diseases associated with expression of survivin are provided.”
Title: Methods and Compositions Involving microRNA
Number: 20070161004
Filed: May 31, 2005
Lead Inventor: David Brown, Ambion (Applied Biosystems)
The invention “concerns methods and compositions for isolating, enriching, and/or labeling miRNA molecules and for preparing and using arrays or other detection techniques for miRNA analysis,” the patent application’s abstract states. “Moreover, the present invention concerns methods and compositions for generating miRNA profiles and employing such profiles for therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic applications.”
Title: RNA Interference-Mediated Inhibition of Gene Expression Using Short Interfering Nucleic Acid
Number: 20070160980
Filed: March 6, 2006
Lead Inventor: Peter Haeberli, Sirna Therapeutics (Merck)
“This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating gene expression using short interfering nucleic acid molecules,” the patent application’s abstract states. “In particular, the instant invention features small nucleic acid molecules … and methods used to modulate the expression of genes, such as expressed pseudogenes associated with the maintenance or development of diseases, disorders, traits, and conditions in a subject or organism.”