Patent ID: 7582615

Claim:
A method of inhibiting viral infection in mammalian cells by an Arenavirus in the Arenaviridae family, comprising (a) exposing the cells to an antisense oligonucleotide compound composed of morpholino subunits and phosphorus-containing intersubunit linkages joining a morpholino nitrogen of one subunit to a 5′ exocyclic carbon of an adjacent subunit, and characterized by: (i) a substantially uncharged, nuclease-resistant backbone, (ii) capable of uptake by mammalian host cells, (iii) containing between 12-40 nucleotide bases, (iv) having a targeting sequence of at least 12 contiguous subunits complementary to SEQ ID NO:1, and (v) conjugated to the oligonucleotide, an arginine-rich polypeptide effective to promote uptake of the compound into infected host cells, and (b) by said exposing, forming a heteroduplex structure (i) composed of the virus' vRNA or vcRNA strand and the oligonucleotide compound, and (ii) characterized by a Tm of dissociation of at least 45° C.