Patents by Inventor Paul Francis Kenna

Paul Francis Kenna 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).

  • Patent number: 8551970
    Abstract: Methods and agents for suppressing expression of a mutant allele of a gene and providing a replacement nucleic acid are provided. The methods of the invention provide suppression effectors such as, for example, antisense nucleic acids, ribozymes, or RNAi, that bind to the gene or its RNA. The invention further provides for the introduction of a replacement nucleic acid with modified sequences such that the replacement nucleic acid is protected from suppression by the suppression effector. The replacement nucleic acid is modified at degenerate wobble positions in the target region of the suppression effector and thereby is not suppressed by the suppression effector. In addition, by altering wobble positions, the replacement nucleic acid can still encode a wild type gene product. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Optigen Patents Limited
    Inventors: Gwenyth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Publication number: 20110190371
    Abstract: Methods and agents for suppressing expression of a mutant allele of a gene and providing a replacement nucleic acid are provided. The methods of the invention provide suppression effectors such as, for example, antisense nucleic acids, ribozymes, or RNAi, that bind to the gene or its RNA. The invention further provides for the introduction of a replacement nucleic acid with modified sequences such that the replacement nucleic acid is protected from suppression by the suppression effector. The replacement nucleic acid is modified at degenerate wobble positions in the target region of the suppression effector and thereby is not suppressed by the suppression effector. In addition, by altering wobble positions, the replacement nucleic acid can still encode a wild type gene product. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: OPTIGEN PATENTS LIMITED
    Inventors: GWENYTH JANE FARRAR, PETER HUMPHRIES, PAUL FRANCIS KENNA
  • Publication number: 20090233368
    Abstract: A strategy for suppressing expression of one allele of an endogenous gene is provided comprising providing suppression effectors such as antisense nucleic acids able to bind to polymorphisms within or adjacent to a gene such that one allele of a gene is exclusively or preferentially suppressed and if required of a replacement gene can be introduced. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy when directed to polymorphisms could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a gene. This is particularly relevant when large numbers of mutations within a single gene cause disease pathology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Gwyneth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Publication number: 20090197336
    Abstract: Methods and agents for suppressing expression of a mutant allele of a gene having a polymorphism are provided. The methods of the invention provide suppression effectors such as antisense nucleic acids or ribozymes, that bind to nucleic acid regions having a polymorphism within a gene such that one allele of a gene is exclusively or preferentially suppressed. The method also provides the administration of a replacement nucleic acid, if required. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy, when directed to polymorphisms, could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a polymorphic gene. This is particularly relevant when large numbers of mutations within a single gene cause disease pathology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventors: Gwenyth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Sophia Millington-Ward, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Patent number: 7138378
    Abstract: A strategy for suppressing specifically or partially specifically an endogenous gene and introducing a replacement gene, said strategy comprising the steps of: 1. providing suppressing nucleic acids or other suppression effectors able to bind to an endogenous gene, gene transcript or gene product to be suppressed and 2. providing genomic DNA or cDNA (complete or partial) encoding a replacement gene wherein the suppressing nucleic acids are unable to bind to equivalent regions in the genomic DNA or cDNA to prevent expression of the replacement gene. The replacement nucleic acids have modifications in one or more third base (wobble) positions such that replacement nucleic acids still code for the wild type or equivalent amino acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Optigen Patents Limited
    Inventors: Gwenyth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Publication number: 20040254138
    Abstract: The invention provides a strategy for suppressing expression of an endogenous gene, wherein said strategy comprises providing suppression effectors able to bind to the non-coding regions of a gene to be suppressed, to prevent the functional expression thereof. The suppression effectors may be nucleic acids, and the non-coding regions can include the transcribed but non-translated regions of a gene. The strategy can also introduce a replacement gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Gwenyth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Publication number: 20040234999
    Abstract: Methods and agents for suppressing expression of a mutant allele of a gene and providing a replacement nucleic acid are provided. The methods of the invention provide suppression effectors such as, for example, antisense nucleic acids, ribozymes, or RNAi, that bind to the gene or its RNA. The invention further provides for the introduction of a replacement nucleic acid with modified sequences such that the replacement nucleic acid is protected from suppression by the suppression effector. The replacement nucleic acid is modified at degenerate wobble positions in the target region of the suppression effector and thereby is not suppressed by the suppression effector. In addition, by altering wobble positions, the replacement nucleic acid can still encode a wild type gene product. The invention has the advantage that the same suppression strategy could be used to suppress, in principle, many mutations in a gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Gwenyth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Patent number: 6713457
    Abstract: The invention provides strategy for suppressing expression of an endogenous gene, wherein said strategy comprises providing suppression effectors able to bind to the non-coding regions of a gene to be suppressed, to prevent the functional expression thereof. The suppression effectors may be antisense nucleic acids, and the non-coding regions can include the transcribed but non-translated regions of a gene. The strategy can also introduce a replacement gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Inventors: Gwenyth Jane Farrar, Peter Humphries, Paul Francis Kenna
  • Publication number: 20030096767
    Abstract: The invention provides strategy for suppressing expression of an endogenous gene, wherein said strategy comprises providing suppression effectors able to bind to the non-coding regions of a gene to be suppressed, to prevent the functional expression thereof. The suppression effectors may be antisense nucleic acids, and the non-coding regions can include the transcribed but non-translated regions of a gene. The strategy can also introduce a replacement gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventors: GWENYTH JANE FARRAR, PETER HUMPHRIES, PAUL FRANCIS KENNA