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Short RNA |
and its Applications in Gene Silencing - PBL's Intellectual Property on Short RNA - Tech ID 99.190 | Gene Silencing is a natural phenomenon that occurs in many different organisms from yeasts to plants to humans. It is a central biological mechanism for modulation of gene expression. David Baulcombe and Andrew Hamilton made the pioneering breakthrough to identify short (about 20-30 nt) RNA molecules as the agents which both signal the occurrence of and induce gene silencing. This ground breaking work was carried out at The Sainsbury Laboratory and published in Science ("A Species of Small Antisense RNA in Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing in Plants", Science (1999), 286, pp. 950-952). Intellectual property rights in this innovation are assigned to PBL, The Sainsbury Laboratory's IP management company, and PBL has filed and prosecuted patent applications for this technology since 1999.
Professor Sir David Baulcombe is now at The University of Cambridge and Dr Andrew Hamilton is at The University of Glasgow.
Detection of Gene Silencing
The use of short RNA molecules (including siRNA and miRNA) is an important tool to analyse miRNA expression patterns and to monitor siRNA levels following induction of silencing, for example, to determine whether experimental treatments or therapeutic interventions are having their intended effect on the expression of target genes such as those relevant to diseases, including cancer, macular degeneration etc. Such methods are widely and routinely used in biological research and related investigations.
Detection of Gene Silencing in Plants
In 2004, the USPTO awarded to PBL Patent No. 6,753,139, for methods of detecting gene silencing in plants. Please click here for a link to the patent and claims. PBL has granted licenses to several parties in respect of this patent, and additional licenses are still available.
Detection of Gene Silencing In Mammals
In 2010 PBL has been granted US Patent Number 7,704,688 (issue date 27 April 2010) with claims for detecting short RNA molecules to diagnose and characterise gene silencing in mammals and mammalian cells. Please click here for a link to the claims.
Please click here for a PDF of the Press Release.
Licensing
Commercial Use Licences under these issued patents are available for:
• Use in in-house research and development.
• Use for performing Contract Research services to third parties.
• Commercial supply of kits and/or reagents for performing the patented methods.
For licensing enquiries, please contact Dr Lars von Borcke.
Academic Use
PBL is operating a non-assert position under these issued patents with respect to academic organisations carrying out purely academic research, even if such purely academic research comes within the scope of the patent claims. By "purely academic research", is meant bona fide academic research or teaching carried out by public or charitable research institutions or universities and not performed for or under contract with any commercial entity or person. This non-assert position does not extend to use of commercial kits or reagents purchased by or donated to such public or charitable research organisations unless the supplier has already obtained a licence from PBL, under this patent, for such supply of such kits or reagents.
Induction of Gene Silencing
PBL currently has several further pending patent applications, based on further aspects of the work of Baulcombe and Hamilton, which are being examined by the USPTO, including for the use of short RNA molecules to cause gene silencing, for example, as therapeutic agents.
Granted Patents and Pending Patent Applications
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ISSUE DATE |
ISSUE NUMBER |
SUBJECT MATTER |
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27 Apr 10 |
7,704,688 |
Methods are disclosed for screening for the occurrence of gene silencing (eg post transcriptional gene silencing) in mammals |
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22 Jun 04 |
6,753,139 |
Methods are disclosed for screening for the occurrence of gene silencing (eg post transcriptional gene silencing) in plants |
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PENDING PATENT APPLICATIONS |
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USSN |
PUBLICATION NUMBER |
SUBJECT MATTER |
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10/805,804 |
US 2004-0221337 A1 |
Method of inducing silencing using short RNA molecules (20-24nt) |
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11/013,316 |
US 2005-0100950 A1 |
Short RNA compositions |
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11/013,315 |
US 2005-0102709 A1 |
Short RNA compositions |
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11/013,531 |
US 2005-0102710 A1 |
Cells comprising constructs which generate short RNA molecules |
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12/130,919 |
US 2008-0312176 A1 |
Method of inducing silencing using short RNA molecules (20-30nt) |
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12/508,482 |
US 2009-0286254 A1 |
Method of identification of target sequences using short RNA molecules |
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12/508,476 |
US 2009-0288182 A1 |
Method of silencing a gene in a plant predator by generating predator specific short RNA in plant host |
Links and References
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