摘要:
The present invention relates to classical pathway complement proteins and their use in the prognosis and prevention of diseases involving cone photoreceptor degeneration. Specifically, the present invention is directed to the use of one or more classical pathway complement proteins, preferably involved in the recognition phase, in the maintenance of cone photoreceptor cell viability in a degenerating retina. The invention is also directed to a method for determining the susceptibility, risk of development and/or progression of diseases involving cone photoreceptor degeneration in a subject.
摘要:
A strategy for suppressing specifically or partially specifically an endogenous gene and introducing a replacement gene, said strategy comprising the steps of: 1. providing suppressing nucleic acids or other suppression effectors able to bind to an endogenous gene, gene transcript or gene product to be suppressed and 2. providing genomic DNA or cDNA (complete or partial) encoding a replacement gene wherein the suppressing nucleic acids are unable to bind to equivalent regions in the genomic DNA or cDNA to prevent expression of the replacement gene. The replacement nucleic acids have modifications in one or more third base (wobble) positions such that replacement nucleic acids still code for the wild type or equivalent amino acids.
摘要:
Methods and agents for suppressing expression of a mutant allele of a gene and providing a replacement nucleic acid are provided. The methods of the invention provide suppression effectors such as, for example, antisense nucleic acids, ribozymes, or RNAi, that bind to the gene or its RNA. The invention further provides for the introduction of a replacement nucleic acid with modified sequences such that the replacement nucleic acid is protected from suppression by the suppression effector. The replacement nucleic acid is modified at degenerate wobble positions in the target region of the suppression effector and thereby is not suppressed by the suppression effector. In addition, by altering wobble positions, the replacement nucleic acid can still encode a wild type gene product. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a gene. Also disclosed is a transgenic mouse that expresses human rhodopsin (modified replacement gene) and a transgenic mouse that expresses a suppression effector targeting rhodopsin. Also disclosed in intraocular administration of siRNA.
摘要:
The invention provides strategy for suppressing expression of an endogenous gene, wherein said strategy comprises providing suppression effectors able to bind to the non-coding regions of a gene to be suppressed, to prevent the functional expression thereof. The suppression effectors may be antisense nucleic acids, and the non-coding regions can include the transcribed but non-translated regions of a gene. The strategy can also introduce a replacement gene.
摘要:
Methods and agents for suppressing expression of a mutant allele of a gene having a polymorphism are provided. The methods of the invention provide suppression effectors such as antisense nucleic acids or ribozymes, that bind to nucleic acid regions having a polymorphism within a gene such that one allele of a gene is exclusively or preferentially suppressed. The method also provides the administration of a replacement nucleic acid, if required. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy, when directed to polymorphisms, could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a polymorphic gene. This is particularly relevant when large numbers of mutations within a single gene cause disease pathology.