MODIFIED RNAi AGENTS

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention relates to double-stranded RNAi (dsRNA) duplex agent capable of inhibiting the expression of a target gene. The dsRNA duplex comprises one or more motifs of three identical modifications on three consecutive nucleotides in one or both strand, particularly at or near the cleavage site of the strand. Other aspects of the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these dsRNA agents suitable for therapeutic use, and methods of inhibiting the expression of a target gene by administering these dsRNA agents, e.g., for the treatment of various disease conditions.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A double-stranded RNAi agent capable of inhibiting the expression of a target gene, comprising a sense strand and an antisense strand, each strand having 14 to 30 nucleotides, wherein the duplex is represented by formula (III): 
       
         
           
                 
               
                   (III) 
                 
                   sense: 
                 
                   5′ n p -N a -(X X X) i -N b -Y Y Y-N b -(Z Z Z) j -N a -n q  3′ 
                 
                     
                 
                   antisense: 
                 
                   3′ n p ′-N a ′-(X′X′X′) k -N b ′-Y′Y′Y′-N b ′-(Z′Z′Z′) l -N a - 
                 
                     
                 
                   n q ′ 5′ 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
         wherein: 
         j, k, and l are each independently 0 or 1; 
         p and q are each independently 0-6; 
         each Na and Na′ independently represents an oligonucleotide sequence comprising 2-25 nucleotides which are either modified or unmodified or combinations thereof, each sequence comprising at least two differently modified nucleotides, each Nb and Nb′ independently represents an oligonucleotide sequence comprising 0-10 nucleotides which are either modified or unmodified or combinations thereof; 
         each n p , n p ′, n q  and n q ′ independently represents an overhang nucleotide sequence comprising 0-6 nucleotides; and 
         XXX, YYY, ZZZ, X′X′X′, Y′Y′Y′, and Z′Z′Z′ each independently represent one motif of three identical modifications on three consecutive nucleotides; and 
         wherein the modification on Nb is different than the modification on Y and the modification on Nb′ is different than the modification on Y′, and 
         wherein the antisense strand comprises two blocks of two phosphorothioate internucleotide linkages separated by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, or 18 phosphate internucleotide linkages. 
       
     
     
         2 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein i is 1; j is 1; or both i and j are 1. 
     
     
         3 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein k is 1; 1 is 1; or both k and l are 1. 
     
     
         4 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the YYY motif occurs at or near the cleavage site of the sense strand. 
     
     
         5 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the Y′Y′Y′ motif occurs at the 11, 12 and 13 positions of the antisense strand from the 5′-end. 
     
     
         6 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 5 , wherein the Y′ is 2′-OMe. 
     
     
         7 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein formula (III) is represented as formula (IIIa): 
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (IIIa) 
                 
                     
                   5′ n p -N a -Y Y Y-N b -Z Z Z-N a -n q 3′ 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   3′ n p ′-N a ′ -Y′Y′Y′-N b ′-Z′Z′Z′-N a ′n q ′ 5′ 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
       wherein each N b  and N b ′ independently represents an oligonucleotide sequence comprising 1-5 modified nucleotides. 
     
     
         8 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein formula (III) is represented as formula (IIIb): 
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (IIIb) 
                 
                     
                   5′ n p -N a -X X X-N b -Y Y Y-N a -n q  3′ 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   3′ n p -N a -X′X′X′-N b -Y′Y′Y′-N a -n q  5′ 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
       wherein each N b  and N b ′ independently represents an oligonucleotide sequence comprising 1-5 modified nucleotides. 
     
     
         9 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein formula (III) is represented as formula (IIIc): 
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                   (IIIc) 
                 
                     
                   5′ n p -N a -X X X-N b -Y Y Y-N b -Z Z Z-N a -n q  3′ 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   3′ n p -N a -X′X′X′-N b -Y′Y′Y′-N b -Z′Z′Z′-N a -n q  5′ 
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
       wherein each N b  and N b ′ independently represents an oligonucleotide sequence comprising 1-5 modified nucleotides and each N a  and N a ′ independently represents an oligonucleotide sequence comprising 2-10 modified nucleotides. 
     
     
         10 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the duplex region is 17-30 nucleotide pairs in length. 
     
     
         11 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 10 , wherein the duplex region is 17-19 nucleotide pairs in length. 
     
     
         12 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 10 , wherein the duplex region is 27-30 nucleotide pairs in length. 
     
     
         13 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein each strand has 17-30 nucleotides. 
     
     
         14 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the modifications on the nucleotides are selected from the group consisting of LNA, HNA, CeNA, 2′-methoxyethyl, 2′-O-alkyl, 2′-O-allyl, 2′-C-allyl, 2′-fluoro, 2′-deoxy, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 14 , wherein the nucleotides are modified with either 2′-OCH 3  or 2′-F. 
     
     
         16 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one ligand. 
     
     
         17 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 16 , wherein the ligand is a one or more GalNAc derivatives attached through a bivalent or trivalent branched linker. 
     
     
         18 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the modifications on the nucleotides are selected from the group consisting of 2′-O-methyl nucleotide, 2′-deoxyfluoro nucleotide, 2′-O—N-methylacetamido (2′-O-NMA) nucleotide, a 2′-O-dimethylaminoethoxyethyl (2′-O-DMAEOE) nucleotide, 2′-O-aminopropyl (2′-O-AP) nucleotide, 2′-ara-F, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 14 , wherein the ligand is attached to the 3′ end of the sense strand. 
     
     
         20 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one methylphosphonate internucleotide linkage. 
     
     
         21 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleotide at the 1 position of the 5′-end of the duplex in the antisense strand is selected from the group consisting of A, dA, dU, U, and dT. 
     
     
         22 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the base pair at the 1 position of the 5′-end of the duplex is an AU base pair. 
     
     
         23 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the Y nucleotides contain a 2′-fluoro modification. 
     
     
         24 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 1 , wherein the Y′ nucleotides contain a 2′-O-methyl modification. 
     
     
         25 . A double-stranded RNAi agent capable of inhibiting the expression of a target gene, comprising a sense strand and an antisense strand, each strand having 14 to 30 nucleotides,
 wherein the sense strand contains at least one motif of three 2′-F modifications on three consecutive nucleotides, one of said motifs occurring at or near the cleavage site in the strand; and   wherein the antisense strand contains at least one motif of three 2′-O-methyl modifications on three consecutive nucleotides, one of said motifs occurring at or near the cleavage site, and   wherein the antisense strand comprises two blocks of two phosphorothioate internucleotide linkages separated by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, or 18 phosphate internucleotide linkages.   
     
     
         26 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , wherein the sense strand comprises one or more motifs of three identical modifications on three consecutive nucleotides, said motifs occurring at another portion of the strand that is separated from the three 2′-F modifications at the cleavage site by at least one nucleotide. 
     
     
         27 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , wherein the antisense strand comprises one or more motifs of three identical modifications on three consecutive nucleotides, said motifs occurring at another portion of the strand that is separated from the three 2′-O-methyl modifications by at least one nucleotide. 
     
     
         28 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the nucleotides having a 2′-F modification forms a base pair with one of the nucleotides having a 2′-O-methyl modification. 
     
     
         29 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , wherein the duplex is 17-30 nucleotide pairs in length. 
     
     
         30 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , wherein the duplex is 17-19 nucleotide pairs in length. 
     
     
         31 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , wherein each strand has 17-23 nucleotides. 
     
     
         32 . The double-stranded RNAi agent of  claim 25 , further comprising a ligand attached to the 3′ end of the sense strand. 
     
     
         33 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the double-stranded RNAi agent according to  claim 1  alone or in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. 
     
     
         34 . A method for inhibiting the expression of a target gene comprising the step of administering the double-stranded RNAi agent according to  claim 1 , in an amount sufficient to inhibit expression of the target gene. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the double-stranded RNAi agent is administered through subcutaneous or intravenous administration. 
     
     
         36 . A method for delivering a polynucleotide to a specific target of a subject, the method comprising: delivering the dsRNA agent according to  claim 1  by subcutaneous administration into the subject, such that the polynucleotide is delivered into specific target of the subject.