Patent ID: 11873489
Assignee: SILENCE THERAPEUTICS GMBH
Field: Biotechnology (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. A nucleic acid for inhibiting expression of a target gene in a cell, comprising at least one duplex region 17-25 nucleotides in length that comprises at least a portion of a first strand and at least a portion of a second strand that is at least partially complementary to the first strand, wherein said second strand is 17-35 nucleotides in length, wherein said first strand is 17-35 nucleotides in length and comprises a nucleotide sequence that is at least partially complementary to at least a portion of RNA transcribed from said target gene,
wherein the nucleic acid comprises (a) a phosphorodithioate linkage only between the two terminal nucleotides at the 3′ end of the second strand, (b) phosphorodithioate linkages only between the two terminal nucleotides at the 3′ end of the first strand and the 3′ end of the second strand or (c) phosphorodithioate linkages only between the two terminal nucleotides at the 3′ end of the first strand, the 3′ end of the second strand, and the 5′ end of the second strand; and
wherein the first strand comprises internucleoside linkages other than phosphorodithioate between the two, three or four terminal nucleotides at the 5′ end.