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Antisense antiviral compounds and methods for treating a filovirus infection

USPTO Application #: 20060281701
Title: Antisense antiviral compounds and methods for treating a filovirus infection
Abstract: The invention provides antisense antiviral compounds and methods of their use and production in inhibition of growth of viruses of the Filoviridae family, and in the treatment of a viral infection. The compounds and methods relate to the treatment of viral infections in mammals including primates by Ebola and Marburg viruses. The antisense antiviral compounds are morpholino oligonucleotides having: a) a nuclease resistant backbone, b) 15-40 nucleotide bases, and c) a targeting sequence of at least 15 bases in length that hybridizes to a target region selected from the following: i) the AUG start site region of VP35, as exemplified by SEQ ID NOS:67-71 or ii) the AUG start site region of VP24, as exemplified by SEQ ID NOS:72-76. (end of abstract)



Agent: Perkins Coie LLP - Menlo Park, CA, US
Inventors: David A. Stein, Patrick L. Iversen, Sina Bavari, Dwight D. Weller
USPTO Applicaton #: 20060281701 - Class: 514044000 (USPTO)

Related Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Designated Organic Active Ingredient Containing (doai), O-glycoside, , Nitrogen Containing Hetero Ring, Polynucleotide (e.g., Rna, Dna, Etc.)

Antisense antiviral compounds and methods for treating a filovirus infection description/claims


The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060281701, Antisense antiviral compounds and methods for treating a filovirus infection.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
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[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/264,444, filed Oct. 31, 2005, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional Patent Application No. 60/671,694 filed Apr. 14, 2005, and U.S. provisional Patent Application No. 60/624,277 filed Nov. 1, 2004. Both applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to antisense oligonucleotide compounds for use in treating an infection by a virus of the Filoviridae family and antiviral treatment methods employing the compounds. More specifically, it relates to treatment methods and compounds for treating viral infections in mammals including primates by Ebola and Marburg viruses.

REFERENCES

[0003] Agrawal, S., S. H. Mayrand, et al. (1990). "Site-specific excision from RNA by RNase H and mixed-phosphate-backbone oligodeoxynucleotides." Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87(4): 1401-5. [0004] Arora, V. and P. L. Iversen (2001). "Redirection of drug metabolism using antisense technology." Curr Opin Mol Ther 3(3): 249-57. [0005] Blommers, M. J., U. Pieles, et al. (1994). "An approach to the structure determination of nucleic acid analogues hybridized to RNA. NMR studies of a duplex between 2'-OMe RNA and an oligonucleotide containing a single amide backbone modification." Nucleic Acids Res 22(20): 4187-94. [0006] Bonham, M. A., S. Brown, et al (1995). "An assessment of the antisense properties of RNase H-competent and steric-blocking oligomers." Nucleic Acids Res 23(7): 1197-203. [0007] Borio, L., T. Inglesby, et al. (2002). "Hemorrhagic fever viruses as biological weapons: medical and public health management." Jama 287(18): 2391-405. [0008] Boudvillain, M., M. Guerin, et al. (1997). "Transplatin-modified oligo(2'-O-methyl ribonucleotide)s: a new tool for selective modulation of gene expression." Biochemistry 36(10): 2925-31. [0009] Bray, M., K. Davis, et al. (1998). "A mouse model for evaluation of prophylaxis and therapy of Ebola hemorrhagic fever." J Infect Dis 178(3): 651-61. [0010] Burnett, J., E. A. Henchal, et al. (2005). "The evolving field of biodefence: Therapeutic developments and diagnostics." Nat Rev Drug Disc 4: 281-297. [0011] Connolly, B. M., K. E. Steele, et al. (1999). "Pathogenesis of experimental Ebola virus infection in guinea pigs." J Infect Dis 179 Suppl 1: S203-17. [0012] Cross, C. W., J. S. Rice, et al. (1997). "Solution structure of an RNA.times.DNA hybrid duplex containing a 3'-thioformacetal linker and an RNA A-tract." Biochemistry 36(14): 4096-107. [0013] Dagle, J. M., J. L. Littig, et al. (2000). "Targeted elimination of zygotic messages in Xenopus laevis embryos by modified oligonucleotides possessing terminal cationic linkages." Nucleic Acids Res 28(10): 2153-7. [0014] Ding, D., S. M. Grayaznov, et al. (1996). "An oligodeoxyribonucleotide N3'.fwdarw.P5' phosphoramidate duplex forms an A-type helix in solution." Nucleic Acids Res 24(2): 354-60. [0015] Egholm, M., O. Buchardt, et al. (1993). "PNA hybridizes to complementary oligonucleotides obeying the Watson-Crick hydrogen-bonding rules." Nature 365(6446): 566-8. [0016] Feldmann, H., S. Jones, et al. (2003). "Ebola virus: from discovery to vaccine." Nat Rev Immunol 3(8): 677-85. [0017] Feldmann, H. and M. P. Kiley (1999). "Classification, structure, and replication of filoviruses." Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 235: 1-21. [0018] Feldmann, H., H. D. Klenk, et al. (1993). "Molecular biology and evolution of filoviruses." Arch Virol Suppl 7: 81-100. [0019] Felgner, P. L., T. R. Gadek, et al. (1987). "Lipofection: a highly efficient, lipid-mediated DNA-transfection procedure." Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84(21): 7413-7. [0020] Gait, M. J., A. S. Jones, et al. (1974). "Synthetic-analogues of polynucleotides XII. Synthesis of thymidine derivatives containing an oxyacetamido- or an oxyformamido-linkage instead of a phosphodiester group." J Chem Soc [Perkin 1] 0(14): 1684-6. [0021] Gee, J. E., I. Robbins, et al. (1998). "Assessment of high-affinity hybridization, RNase H cleavage, and covalent linkage in translation arrest by antisense oligonucleotides." Antisense Nucleic Acid Drug Dev 8(2): 103-11. [0022] Geisbert, T. W. and L. E. Hensley (2004). "Ebola virus: new insights into disease aetiopathology and possible therapeutic interventions." Expert Rev Mol Med 6(20): 1-24. [0023] Geisbert, T. W., L. E. Hensley, et al. (2003). "Treatment of Ebola virus infection with a recombinant inhibitor of factor VIIa/tissue factor: a study in rhesus monkeys." Lancet 362(9400): 1953-8. [0024] Jahrling, P. B., T. W. Geisbert, et al. (1999). "Evaluation of immune globulin and recombinant interferon-alpha2b for treatment of experimental Ebola virus infections." J Infect Dis 179 Suppl 1: S224-34. [0025] Lesnikowski, Z. J., M. Jaworska, et al. (1990). "Octa(thymidine methanephosphonates) of partially defined stereochemistry: synthesis and effect of chirality at phosphorus on binding to pentadecadeoxyriboadenylic acid." Nucleic Acids Res 18(8): 2109-15. [0026] Mertes, M. P. and E. A. Coats (1969). "Synthesis of carbonate analogs of dinucleosides. 3'-Thymidinyl 5'-thymidinyl carbonate, 3'-thymidinyl 5'-(5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridinyl)carbonate, and 3'-(5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridinyl) 5'-thymidinyl carbonate." J Med Chem 12(1): 154-7. [0027] Moulton, H. M., M. H. Nelson, et al. (2004). "Cellular uptake of antisense morpholino oligomers conjugated to arginine-rich peptides." Bioconjug Chem 15(2): 290-9. [0028] Nelson, M. H., D. A. Stein, et al. (2005). "Arginine-rich peptide conjugation to morpholino oligomers: effects on antisense activity and specificity." Bioconjug Chem 16(4): 959-66. [0029] Peters, C. J. and J. W. LeDuc (1999). "An introduction to Ebola: the virus and the disease." J Infect Dis 179 Suppl 1: ix-xvi. [0030] Sanchez, A., M. P. Kiley, et al. (1993). "Sequence analysis of the Ebola virus genome: organization, genetic elements, and comparison with the genome of Marburg virus." Virus Res 29(3): 215-40. [0031] Strauss, J. H. and E. G. Strauss (2002). Viruses and Human Disease. San Diego, Academic Press. [0032] Summerton, J. and D. Weller (1997). "Morpholino antisense oligomers: design, preparation, and properties." Antisense Nucleic Acid Drug Dev 7(3): 187-95. [0033] Toulme, J. J., R. L. Tinevez, et al. (1996). "Targeting RNA structures by antisense oligonucleotides." Biochimie 78(7): 663-73. [0034] Warfield, K. L., J. G. Perkins, et al. (2004). "Role of natural killer cells in innate protection against lethal ebola virus infection." J Exp Med 200(2): 169-79.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Minus-strand (-) RNA viruses are major causes of human suffering that cause epidemics of serious human illness. In humans the diseases caused by these viruses include influenza (Orthomyxoviridae), mumps, measles, upper and lower respiratory tract disease (Paramyxoviridae), rabies (Rhabdoviridae), hemorrhagic fever (Filoviridae, Bunyaviridae and Arenaviridae), encephalitis (Bunyaviridae) and neurological illness (Bornaviridae). Virtually the entire human population is thought to be infected by many of these viruses (e.g. respiratory syncytial virus) (Strauss and Strauss 2002).

[0036] The order Mononegavirales is composed of four minus strand RNA virus families, the Rhabdoviridae, the Paramyxoviridae, the Filoviridae and the Bornaviridae. The viruses in these families contain a single strand of non-segmented negative-sense RNA and are responsible for a wide range of significant diseases in fish, plants, and animals. Viruses with segmented (-) RNA genomes belong to the Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae and Orthomyxoviridae families and possess genomes with two, three and seven or eight segments, respectively.

[0037] The expression of the five to ten genes encoded by the members of the Mononegavirales is controlled at the level of transcription by the order of the genes on the genome relative to the single 3' promoter. Gene order throughout the Mononegavirales is highly conserved. Genes encoding products required in stoichiometric amounts for replication are always at or near the 3' end of the genome while those whose products are needed in catalytic amounts are more promoter distal (Strauss and Strauss 2002). The segmented (-) RNA viruses encode genes with similar functions to those encoded by the Mononegavirales. Other features of virion structure and replication pathways are also shared among the (-) RNA viruses.

[0038] For some (-) RNA viruses, effective vaccines are available (e.g. influenza, mumps and measles virus) whereas for others there are no effective vaccines (e.g. Ebola virus and Marburg virus). In general, no effective antiviral therapies are available to treat an infection by any of these viruses. As with many other human viral pathogens, available treatment involves supportive measures such as anti-pyretics to control fever, fluids, antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections and respiratory support as necessary.

[0039] The development of a successful therapeutic for filoviruses Ebola and Marburg virus is a long-sought and seemingly difficult endeavor (Geisbert and Hensley 2004). Although they cause only a few hundred deaths worldwide each year, filoviruses are considered a significant world health threat and have many of the characteristics commonly associated with biological weapons since they can be grown in large quantities, can be fairly stable, are highly infectious as an aerosol, and are exceptionally deadly (Borio, Inglesby et al. 2002). Filoviruses are relatively simple viruses of 19 Kb genomes and consist of seven genes which encode nucleoprotein (NP), glycoprotein (GP), four smaller viral proteins (VP24, VP30, VP35 and VP40), and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L protein) all in a single strand of negative-sensed RNA (Feldmann and Kiley 1999). The development of an effective therapeutic for Ebola virus has been hindered by a lack of reagents and a clear understanding of filovirus pathogenesis, disparity between animal models, and both the difficulty and danger of working with Ebola virus in biosafety level (BSL)-4 conditions (Geisbert and Hensley 2004; Burnett, Henchal et al. 2005). Administration of type I interferons, therapeutic vaccines, immune globulins, ribavirin, and other nucleoside analogues have been somewhat successful in rodent Ebola virus models, but not in infected nonhuman primates (Jahrling, Geisbert et al. 1999; Geisbert and Hensley 2004; Warfield, Perkins et al. 2004). Ebola virus frequently causes severe disseminated intravascular coagulation and administration of a recombinant clotting inhibitor has recently shown to protect 33% of rhesus monkeys (Geisbeilt, Hensley et al. 2003; Geisbert and Hensley 2004). Host-directed therapeutics alone have not proven to be a sufficiently efficacious therapeutic approach. A well-orchestrated sequence-specific attack on viral gene expression is required for a highly successful anti-filovirus therapeutic and treatment regimen.

[0040] In view of the severity of the diseases caused by (-) RNA viruses, in particular members of the Filoviridae family of viruses, and the lack of effective prevention or therapies, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide therapeutic compounds and methods for treating a host infected with a (-) RNA virus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0041] The invention includes, in one aspect, an anti-viral antisense compound effective in inhibiting replication within a host cell of an Ebola virus or Marburg virus. The has

[0042] a) a nuclease-resistant backbone,

[0043] b) 15-40 nucleotide bases,

[0044] c) a targeting sequence that is complementary to a target sequence composed of at least 12 contiguous bases within an AUG start-site region of a positive-strand mRNA identified by one of the Filovirus mRNA sequences selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 67-70, 71, 72-75, and 76, and

[0045] (d) the ability to form a heteroduplex structure with the viral target region, wherein said heteroduplex structure is (i) composed of the positive sense strand of the virus and the oligonucleotide compound, and (ii) characterized by a Tm of dissociation of at least 45.degree. C.

[0046] For treating an Ebola virus infection, the compound may have a targeting sequence that is complementary to a target sequence composed of at least 12 contiguous bases within the VP35 AUG start-site region identified by a target sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:67-70. Exemplary targeting sequences include those identified by SEQ ID NOS. 21-26.

[0047] In another embodiment for treating an Ebola virus infection, the compound may have a targeting sequence that is complementary to a target sequence composed of at least 12 contiguous bases within the VP24 AUG start-site region identified by a target sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:72-75. Exemplary targeting sequences include SEQ ID NOS:34-41.

[0048] For treating a Marburg virus infection, the compound may have a targeting sequence that is complementary to a target sequence composed of at least 12 contiguous bases within the VP35 AUG start-site region identified by a target sequence identified by SEQ ID NO:71. An exemplary targeting sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:47 and 48.

[0049] In another embodiment for treating a Marburg virus infection, the compound may have a targeting sequence that is complementary to a target sequence composed of at least 12 contiguous bases within the VP24 AUG start-site region identified by a target sequence identified by SEQ ID NO:76. An exemplary targeting sequence is identified by SEQ ID NO:57.

[0050] The compound may be composed of morpholino subunits linked by phosphorous-containing intersubunit linkages that join a morpholino nitrogen of one subunit to a 5' exocyclic carbon of an adjacent subunit. The morpholino subunits may be joined by phosphorodiamidate linkages in accordance with the structure: where Y.sub.1.dbd.O, Z=O, Pj is a purine or pyrimidine base-pairing moiety effective to bind, by base-specific hydrogen bonding, to a base in a polynucleotide, and X is alkyl, alkoxy, thioalkoxy, or alkyl amino. In an exemplary compound, X.dbd.NR.sub.2, and where each R is independently hydrogen or methyl.

[0051] At least 2 and no more than half of the total number of intersubunit linkages may be positively charged at physiological pH. In this embodiment, the morpholino subunits may be joined by phosphorodiamidate linkages, in accordance with the structure: where Y.sub.1.dbd.O, Z=O, Pj is a purine or pyrimidine base-pairing moiety effective to bind, by base-specific hydrogen bonding, to a base in a polynucleotide, and X for the uncharged linkages is alkyl, alkoxy, thioalkoxy, or an alkyl amino of the form wherein NR.sub.2, where each R is independently hydrogen or methyl, and for the positively charged linkages, X is 1-piperazine.

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