Patent ID: 7842674

Claim:
A method of treating a surgery patient in whom p53 is elevated as a result of a stress which comprises administering to the patient a siRNA compound having the structure: 5′ ugaagggugaaauauucuc 3′ (antisense strand) (SEQ ID NO: 48) 3′ acuucccacuuuauaagag 5′ (sense strand) (SEQ ID NO: 25) wherein each of a, c, u, and g is an unmodified or a 2′—O-Me sugar-modified ribonucleotide and each consecutive ribonucleotide is joined to the next ribonucleotide by a covalent bond; and wherein alternating ribonucleotides in both the antisense and sense strands are modified in their sugar residues such that a 2′—O-Me group is present and modified sugar residues are present at the 5′ and 3′ termini of the antisense strand and unmodified sugar residues are present at the 5′ and 3′ termini of the sense strand, and wherein the compound is administered in an amount effective to down-regulate p53 in the patient and thereby treat the patient.