RNase L activators and antisense oligonucleotides effective to treat RSV infections

US6214805A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services · US
• The Cleveland Clinic Foundation · US

Inventors

• Paul F. Torrence · Gaithersburg, US
• Robert H. Silverman · Shaker Heights, US
• Nick M. Cirino · Cleveland Heights, US
• Guiying Li · Branford, US
• Wei Xiao · Raleigh, US
• Mark R. Player · Phoenixville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 3, 1997
• Grant date: Apr 10, 2001
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12N2310/341
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of inhibiting infection by RNA viruses with complexes of an activator of RNase L and an oligonucleotide that is capable of binding to the genome, antigenome or mRNAs of a negative strand RNA virus to specifically cleave the genomic or antigenomic RNA strand of the virus. In accordance with the present invention, the methods and complexes of the invention may be applied to target any negative strand RNA virus. The invention in one embodiment relates to a covalently linked complex of an oligonucleotide that is capable of binding to the genomic or antigenomic template RNA strand of a negative strand RNA virus and/or binding to an mRNA of a viral protein (an "antisense oligonucleotide") coupled to an activator of RNase L. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the oligonucleotide component of the complex is complementary to a region of the viral genomic RNA strand characterized by repeated or consensus sequences.