Patent ID: 8278287

Claim:
A double-stranded compound having the structure: 5′ (N) x —Z 3′ (antisense strand) 3′ Z′—(N′) y —Z″ 5′ (sense strand) wherein each of N and N′ is a nucleotide which may be an unmodified or a modified ribonucleotide, or may be an unconventional nucleotide moiety; wherein each of (N) x and (N′) y is an oligonucleotide in which each consecutive N or N′ is joined to the next N or N′ by a covalent bond; wherein Z and Z′ may be present or absent, but if present is independently 1-5 consecutive nucleotides covalently attached at the 3′ terminus of the strand in which it is present; wherein Z″ may be present or absent, but if present is a capping moiety covalently attached at the 5′ terminus of (N′) y ; wherein x=y=19; wherein (N) x comprises at least five alternating unmodified and modified ribonucleotides beginning at the 3′ end of (N) x and at least nine modified ribonucleotides and unconventional nucleotide moieties in total and each remaining N is an unmodified ribonucleotide; wherein (N′) y comprises an unconventional nucleotide moiety which is selected from the group consisting of an L-DNA mirror nucleotide and a nucleotide joined to an adjacent nucleotide by a 2′-5′ internucleotide phosphate bond in at least one of the 3′ terminal position or the 3′ penultimate position; and wherein the sequence of (N) x is 5′ UUGUCAUCUACAAACGGGA 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 8,506) and the sequence of (N) y is 5′ UCCCGUUUGUAGAUGACAA 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 8,497).