Ordered structures composed of a plurality of self-assembled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers, and processes of generating same are provided. The plurality of PNA monomers includes modified PNA monomers which are N-protected PNA monomers and/or which feature at least one aromatic moiety attached to a backbone, a nucleobase and/or a nucleobase linkage unit of the PNA monomer. Tunable photonic crystals formed of the provided ordered structures, uses thereof and articles-of-manufacturing containing same are also provided.

A method to treat diseases or conditions associated with the human MMP-1 gene transcription involving administration of the peptide nucleic acid derivative according to claim 1 to a subject. The present invention provides the peptide nucleic acid derivative according to claim 1 which targets 5′ splice site of the human MMP-1 pre-mRNA “exon 5”. The peptide nucleic acid derivatives in the present invention strongly induce splice variants of the human MMP-1 mRNA in cell and are very useful to treat conditions or diseases of skin aging associated with the human MMP-1 protein.

The present invention relates to γ-PNA monomers according to Formula I where substituent groups R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, B and P are defined as set forth in the specification. The invention also provides methodology for synthesizing compounds according to Formula I and methodology for synthesizing PNA oligomers that incorporate one or more Formula I monomers.

Provided herein are compositions and methods of making high density nucleic acid polymers.

Described herein are divalent nucleobases that each binds two nucleic acid strands, matched or mismatched when incorporated into a nucleic acid or nucleic acid analog backbone, such as in a γ-peptide nucleic acid (γPNA). Also provided are genetic recognition reagents comprising one or more of the divalent nucleobases and a nucleic acid or nucleic acid analog backbone, such as a γPNA backbone. Uses for the divalent nucleobases and monomers and genetic recognition reagents containing the divalent nucleobases also are provided.

A composition according to an embodiment of the present invention includes nucleic acid molecules which are capable of effectively inhibiting the expression level of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and collagen by RNA interference (RNAi), thereby preventing or treating a variety of fibroproliferative diseases due to overexpression of CTGF or collagen.

This invention is related to novel PNA probes, probe sets, methods and kits pertaining to the detection of one or more species of Candida yeast. Non-limiting examples of probing nucleobase sequences that can be used for the probes of this invention can be selected from the group consisting of: AGA-GAG-CAG-CAT-GCA (Seq. Id. No. 1), AGA-GAG-CAA-CAT-GCA (Seq. Id. No. 2), ACA-GCA-GAA-GCC-GTG (Seq. Id. No. 3), CAT-AAA-TGG-CTA-CCA-GA (Seq. Id. No. 4), CAT-AAA-TGG-CTA-CCC-AG (Seq. Id. No. 5), ACT-TGG-AGT-CGA-TAG (Seq. Id. No. 6), CCA-ACG-CTT-ATA-CTC-GC (Seq. Id. No. 7), CCC-CTG-AAT-CGG-GAT (Seq. Id. No. 8), GAC-GCC-AAA-GAC-GCC (Seq. Id. No. 9), ATC-GTC-AGA-GGC-TAT-AA (Seq. Id. No. 10), TAG-CCA-GAA-GAA-AGG (Seq. Id. No. 11), CAT-AAA-TGG-CTA-GCC-AG (Seq. Id. No. 12), CTC-CGA-TGT-GAC-TGC-G (Seq. Id. No. 13), TCC-CAG-ACT-GCT-CGG (Seq. Id. No. 14), TCC-AAG-AGG-TCG-AGA (Seq. Id. No. 15), GCC-AAG-CCA-CAA-GGA (Seq. Id. No. 16), GCC-GCC-AAG-CCA-CA (Seq. Id. No. 17), GGA-CTT-GGG-GTT-AG (Seq. Id. No. 18), CCG-GGT-GCA-TTC-CA (Seq. Id. No. 19), ATG-TAG-AAC-GGA-ACT-A (Seq. Id. No. 20), GAT-TCT-CGG-CCC-CAT-G (Seq. Id. No. 21), CTG-GTT-CGC-CAA-AAA-G (Seq. Id. No. 22) and AGT-ACG-CAT-CAG-AAA (Seq. Id. No. 23).

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid complex having a novel structure, which may introduce a bioactive nucleic acid into cells, a composition for treating or diagnosing disease comprising the same, and a method of regulating target gene expression using the same, and more particularly to a nucleic acid complex in which a bioactive nucleic acid, which comprises a material for facilitating endosomal escape, and a carrier peptide nucleic acid, are complementarily bound to each other, a composition for treating or diagnosing disease comprising the same, a composition for regulating target gene expression using the same, and a method of regulating target gene expression using the same.

A nucleic acid complex of Structural Formula (1) according to the present invention, which comprises a bioactive nucleic acid and a carrier peptide nucleic acid, may increase the stability of the bioactive nucleic acid, reduce loss of the bioactive nucleic acid, such as precipitation caused by self-aggregation, increase the intracellular delivery efficiency of the bioactive nucleic acid, and easily regulate target gene expression.

Methods for gene editing of embryos in vitro are provided. The methods typically include contacting an embryo in vitro with an effective amount of non-enzymatic (e.g., non-nuclease) gene editing active agent(s) optionally encapsulated, entrapped, complexed to or dispersed in polymeric particles to induce at least one alteration in the genome of the embryo. The embryo can be a single cell zygote, however, treatment of male and female gametes prior to fertilization, and embryos having 2, 4, 8, or 16 cells, and including not only zygotes, but also morulas and blastocysts are also provided. Typically, the embryo is contacted with the particles on culture days 0-6 during or following in vitro fertilization.

The present invention provides a method for preparing a PNA oligomer. More specifically, the present invention can prepare a PNA oligomer which is easily separable from byproducts through a simple and short process by using PNA dimers, PNA trimers or PNA tetramers, and which has extremely high yields and purity.