Strongly bound base-modified oligonucleotides

Abstract

The present invention provides compounds having a chelating moiety and an oligonucleotide sequence wherein the oligonucleotide includes one or more modified nucleobases, such as hydroxynucleobases. The disclosed compounds are suitable for antisense therapy. The chelating moiety can be complexed to an ion of a lanthanide metal. These compounds are efficient translation inhibitors of nucleic acids and have increased binding affinity for target nucleic acids. The invention also includes compositions and methods of using these compositions as antisense therapy.

1 . A compound comprising an oligonucleotide having from 5 to 150 nucleobases, wherein at least 10% of said nucleobases are a modified nucleobase selected from the group consisting of: 5-mercaptocytosine, 5-mercaptouracil, 8-mercaptoguanine, 8-mercaptoadenine, 5-hydroxycytosine, 5-hydroxyuracil, 8-hydroxyadenine and 8-hydroxyguanine. 
     
     
         2 . The compound of  claim 1 , wherein the modified nucleobase is a hydroxynucleobase selected from the group consisting of 5-hydroxycytosine, 5-hydroxyuracil, 8-hydroxyadenine and 8-hydroxyguanine. 
     
     
         3 . The compound of  claim 1  comprising from 10 to 100 nucleobases. 
     
     
         4 . The compound of  claim 1  comprising from 10 to 50 nucleobases. 
     
     
         5 . The compound of  claim 1  comprising from 20 to 30 nucleobases. 
     
     
         6 . The compound according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 2 of the nucleobases are the hydroxynucleobases. 
     
     
         7 . The compound according to  claim 1 , wherein from 10% to 20% of the nucleobases are the hydroxynucleobases. 
     
     
         8 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A composition comprising the compound according to  claim 1  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19  further comprising a delivery vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 20 , wherein the delivery vehicle comprises a liposome, wherein the compound is contained within the liposome. 
     
     
         22 . A method of inhibiting translation of a target nucleic acid comprising contacting the target nucleic acid with a compound according to  claim 1 , or a composition comprising the compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, under conditions that permit hybridizing of the compound to the target nucleic acid, wherein the hybridized compound inhibits translation of the target nucleic acid. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the target nucleic acid is in an organism. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the contacting comprises administering to the organism a composition that comprises the compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the organism is a human or animal subject. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the contacting comprises mixing the compound with a biological sample that comprises the target nucleic acid. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the hybridizing induces a cleavage of the target nucleic acid. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the target nucleic acid is mRNA. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the compound cleaves a bond of the target nucleic acid. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the human or animal subject suffers from a viral infection, bacterial infection, microbial infection, fungal infection, or cancer. 
     
     
         32 . A method of inhibiting translation of a nucleic acid in an organism, comprising:
 predicting or determining a nucleotide sequence of a target nucleic acid in an organism; and   administering to the organism a composition according to  claim 19 , wherein the compound comprises a nucleotide sequence, wherein, under physiological conditions of the organism, said compound is sufficiently complementary to the nucleotide sequence of the target nucleic acid to hybridize thereto in the organism, thereby inhibiting translation of the nucleic acid.   
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the nucleotide sequence of the compound is fully complementary to all or a portion of the nucleotide sequence of the target nucleic acid. 
     
     
         34 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A method of detecting and/or quantifying a nucleic acid comprising contacting the nucleic acid with a compound according to  claim 1  and detecting and/or quantifying the nucleic acid by detecting and/or quantifying the compound bound to the nucleic acid. 
     
     
         39 . A method of inhibiting the proliferation of a virus in a subject, the method comprising: administering to the subject in need of treatment of a viral disease a compound according to  claim 1 , or a composition comprising the compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the target nucleic acid is a viral nucleic acid.