Oligodeoxynucleotide intervention for prevention and treatment of sepsis

Abstract

A method for producing ODNs in bacterial or fungal cells in vivo for treatment of sepsis so that, when the ODNs reach and knock down their target genes, and thereby kill bacterial or fungal cells or inhibit their growth, the bacterial or fungal accumulation in the bloodstream is held constant or diminished and the sepsis syndrome is reduced or eliminated. The invention also contemplates of certain ODNs for use in treatment of sepsis.

1 . The ODN expression plasmid As080103.  
     
     
         2 . A method of treatment of sepsis in an animal patient comprising the steps of contacting the causative agent of sepsis with an ODN comprising a sequence targeted to a specific gene of the causative agent for altering the expression of the specific gene to inhibit growth of the causative agent, kill the causative agent, or inhibit the synthesis or secretion of toxin by the causative agent.  
     
     
         3 . A DNA, RNA, or PNA oligonucleotide for treatment of sepsis having one or more of the following nucleotide sequences:  
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                 
                   5′(CTT TCA ACA GTT TTG ATG ACC TTT 
                   (SEQ. ID No. 1) 
                     
                 
                     
                 
                   GCT GAC CAT ACA ATT GCG ATA TCG 
                 
                     
                 
                   TGG GGA GTG AGA G)3′; 
                 
                     
                 
                   5′(CTC ATA CTC T)3′; 
                   (SEQ. ID No. 2) 
                 
                   or 
                 
                     
                 
                   5′(GTT TCG AAG GCT AGC TAC AAC GAT 
                   (SEQ. ID No. 3) 
                 
                     
                 
                   CAT CCA G)3′. 
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . A cell having one or more of the sequences of  claim 4  transformed therein.