Described herein are methods and compositions that provide highly efficient nucleic acid amplification. In some embodiments, this allows a 3-fold or greater increase of amplification product for each amplification cycle and therefore increased sensitivity and speed over conventional PCR. Modified bases can be employed in primers to provide this base-3 or greater amplification with satisfactory PCR cycle times, which are improved, as compared to those observed in the absence of modified bases.

Oligonucleotide analogues are provided that incorporate 5-aza-cytosine in the oligonucleotide sequence, e.g., in the form of 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (decitabine) or 5-aza-cytidine. In particular, oligonucleotide analogues rich in decitabine-deoxyguanosine islets (DpG and GpD) are provided to target the CpG islets in the human genome, especially in the promoter regions of genes susceptible to aberrant hypermethylation. Such analogues can be used for modulation of DNA methylation, such as effective inhibition of methylation of cytosine at the C-5 position. Methods for synthesizing these oligonucleotide analogues and for modulating nucleic acid methylation are provided. Also provided are phosphoramidite building blocks for synthesizing the oligonucleotide analogues, methods for synthesizing, formulating and administering these compounds or compositions to treat conditions, such as cancer and hematological disorders.

RNAi agents for inhibiting the expression of the alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) gene, compositions including AAT RNAi agents, and methods of use are described. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions including one or more AAT RNAi agents together with one or more excipients capable of delivering the RNAi agent(s) to a liver cell in vivo. Delivery of the AAT RNAi agent(s) to liver cells in vivo inhibits AAT gene expression and treats diseases associated with AAT deficiency such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, transaminitis, cholestasis, fibrosis, and fulminant hepatic failure.

The invention provides compositions and methods of making and using effector oligonucleotides, including effector oligonucleotides with greater than one mismatch as compared to its target sequence. These effector oligonucleotides are useful for improving the efficiency of genomic editing as well as providing therapeutic benefits to individuals in need thereof.

The present invention relates to a single-stranded DNA aptamer which inhibits oxidation by binding to L-ascorbic acid, characterized in that the single stranded DNA aptamer has at least one of stem-loop structure, has CG bond at the end of the stem-loop structure, and both of the beginning parts of the stem-loop structure are G or C, in which the same bases are faced to each other. The aptamer of the present invention has an anti-oxidative effect of vitamin C, it can be used for functional cosmetics of various formulations, oral nutritional supplements, foods, etc. by maintaining the reduced state of vitamin C using the aptamer which selectively binds to vitamin C to maintain the anti-oxidative function of vitamin C for a long time. In addition, it can be anticipated that the anti-oxidative effect is continued and maximized even with a small amount of vitamin C by using the aptamer selectively binding to vitamin C.

The current invention provides an improved oligonucleotide and its use for treating, ameliorating, preventing, delaying and/or treating a human cis-element repeat instability associated genetic neuromuscular or neurodegenerative disorder.

Provided herein are processes for preparing an oligomer (e.g., a morpholino oligomer). The synthetic processes described herein may be advantageous to scaling up oligomer synthesis while maintaining overall yield and purity of a synthesized oligomer.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a modified mRNA that is stabilised by sequence modifications and optimised for translation. The pharmaceutical composition according to the invention is particularly well suited for use as an inoculating agent, as well as a therapeutic agent for tissue regeneration. In addition, a process is described for determining sequence modifications that promote stabilisation and translational efficiency of modified mRNA of the invention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a convenient and low-cost method for enhancing the stability of a DNA aptamer and/or its capacity to bind to a target molecule, and a DNA aptamer obtained by the method. The object is solved by substituting an internal hairpin structure (stem-loop structure) of the DNA aptamer with a structure called mini-hairpin structure and optionally increasing GC pairs in a stem portion of the DNA aptamer.

The invention provides an oligonucleotide comprising an inosine, and/or a nucleotide containing a base able to form a wobble base pair or a functional equivalent thereof, wherein the oligonucleotide, or a functional equivalent thereof, comprises a sequence which is complementary to at least part of a dystrophin pre-m RNA exon or at least part of a non-exon region of a dystrophin pre-m RNA said part being a contiguous stretch comprising at least 8 nucleotides. The invention further provides the use of said oligonucleotide for preventing or treating DMD or BMD.