Patents by Inventor Johan Harmse

Johan Harmse has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Use of double stranded RNA hairpin duplexes in gene silencing
    Patent number: 8293974
    Abstract: A DNA polynucleotide is described herein having a modified sequence of a target gene, wherein any one type of nucleotide in the target gene sequence has been chemically modified to another type of nucleotide; and a complementary sequence of the unmodified target gene; wherein either one of the modified sequence or the complementary sequence is in a reverse orientation to the other sequence; and wherein the RNA sequence transcribed from the DNA polynucleotide forms a duplex between the modified sequence and the complementary sequence so that a long double stranded RNA (IdsRNA) duplex forms between the modified and complementary sequences with base pair mismatches where the nucleotides have been modified, the IdsRNA duplex being capable of inhibiting expression of the target gene. RNA polynucleotides and IdsRNA duplexes transcribed by the DNA polynucleotide are also described, as is a method for producing the IdsRNA duplexes. These IdsRNA duplexes can be used in gene silencing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: University of Witwatersrand
    Inventors: Patrick Arbuthnot, Marc Saul Weinberg, Marie Emma Christine Rey, Johan Harmse, Sarah Helen Taylor
  • USE OF DOUBLE STRANDED RNA HAIRPIN DUPLEXES IN GENE SILENCING
    Publication number: 20100152282
    Abstract: A DNA polynucleotide is described herein having a modified sequence of a target gene, wherein any one type of nucleotide in the target gene sequence has been chemically modified to another type of nucleotide; and a complementary sequence of the unmodified target gene; wherein either one of the modified sequence or the complementary sequence is in a reverse orientation to the other sequence; and wherein the RNA sequence transcribed from the DNA polynucleotide forms a duplex between the modified sequence and the complementary sequence so that a long double stranded RNA (IdsRNA) duplex forms between the modified and complementary sequences with base pair mismatches where the nucleotides have been modified, the IdsRNA duplex being capable of inhibiting expression of the target gene. RNA polynucleotides and IdsRNA duplexes transcribed by the DNA polynucleotide are also described, as is a method for producing the IdsRNA duplexes. These IdsRNA duplexes can be used in gene silencing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: University of the Witwatersrand
    Inventors: Patrick Arbuthnot, Marc Saul Weinberg, Marie Emma Christine Rey, Johan Harmse, Sarah Helen Taylor