Patent ID: 8481697

Claim:
A composition comprising a pair of PNA oligomers which i) hybridize to each other through base-pairing that comprises more than one of the following combinations: wherein: R 1 is chosen from hydrogen, halogen, substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, —NR 6 R 7 , substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl linker, a polyamide backbone, and linker bound to a polyamide backbone; R 2 is chosen from hydrogen, substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, —NR 6 R 7 , substituted (C 1 C 4 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 C 4 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, linker, a polyamide backbone, and linker bound to a polyamide backbone; R 3 is group chosen from hydrogen, halogen, substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl, —NR 6 R 7 , substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 8 )-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted (C 3 -C 8 )-cycloalkyl, linker, a polyamide backbone, and linker bound to a polyamide backbone; R 4 is chosen from hydrogen, halogen, substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, —NR 6 R 7 , substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, linker, a polyamide backbone, and linker bound to a polyamide backbone; R 4a is chosen from hydrogen, fluorine and chlorine; R 4b is chosen from hydrogen, fluorine, and chlorine; R 5 is chosen from hydrogen, substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkyl, —NR 6 R 7 , substituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 4 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted (C 5 -C 6 )-cycloalkyl, linker, a polyamide backbone, and linker bound to a polyamide backbone; R 6 and R 7 can be identical or different, and are chosen from hydrogen, substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl, and unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl; R 8 and R 12 can be identical or different, and are chosen from hydrogen, halogen, substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 8 )-cycloalkyl, unsubstituted (C 3 -C 8 )-cycloalkyl, substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl, and unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl; and R 14 is chosen from hydrogen, substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkyl, substituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkoxy, unsubstituted (C 1 -C 20 )-alkoxy, substituted (C 3 -C 8 )-cycloalkyl, and unsubstituted (C 3 -C 8 )-cycloalkyl; R 15 and R 16 are chosen from oxygen and sulfur; R 17 and R 18 are chosen from hydrogen and —NH 2 ; and (ii) do not interfere with RNA or DNA.