US 7,473,525 B2
	Compositions and methods for inhibiting expression of anti-apoptotic genes
Roland Kreutzer, Weidenberg (Germany); Stefan Limmer, Neudrossenfeld (Germany); Hans-Peter Vornlocher, Bayreuth (Germany); Philipp Hadwiger, Bayreuth (Germany); Anke Geick, Bayreuth (Germany); Matthias Ocker, Erlangen (Germany); Christoph Herold, Erlangen (Germany); and Detlef Schuppan, Bubenreuth (Germany)
Assigned to Alnylam Europe AG, Cambridge, Mass. (US)
Filed on Mar. 07, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/384,260.
Application 10/384260 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/EP02/00151, filed on Jan. 09, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 101 00 586 (DE), filed on Jan. 09, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2004/0001811 A1, Jan. 01, 2004
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/68 (2006.01); C12P 19/34 (2006.01); C12N 5/00 (2006.01); C12N 5/02 (2006.01); C07H 21/02 (2006.01); C07H 21/04 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 435—6  [435/91.1; 435/325; 435/375; 536/23.1; 536/24.3; 536/24.33; 536/24.5]

4 Claims

1. A method for inhibiting the expression of an anti-apoptotic gene in a cell, the method comprising: (a) introducing into the cell in vitro a double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA), wherein the dsRNA consists of less than 25 nucleotides in length and comprises a complementary RNA strand comprising a complementary nucleotide sequence which is complementary to at least a part of the Bcl-2 gene, and wherein the complementary nucleotide sequence consists of at least 24 nucleotides in length and comprises SEQ ID NO:2; and (b) maintaining the cell produced in step (a) for a time sufficient to obtain degradation of the mRNA transcript of the anti-apoptotic gene, thereby inhibiting expression of the Bcl-2 gene in the cell.