The present invention is related to a ribonucleic acid comprising a double stranded structure whereby the double-stranded structure comprises a first strand and a second strand, whereby the first strand comprises a first stretch of contiguous nucleotides and whereby said first stretch is at least partially complementary to a target nucleic acid, and the second strand comprises a second stretch of contiguous nucleotides whereby said second stretch is at least partially identical to a target nucleic acid, and whereby the double stranded structure is blunt ended.

The present technology relates, in part, to long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) (e.g., 30 or more base pairs) that inhibits gene expression.

The present invention provides an aptamer that binds to IL-21, an aptamer that binds to IL-21 and inhibits the binding of IL-21 and a receptor thereof, and an aptamer that binds to IL-21 and contains a nucleotide sequence represented by the formula (1): CGRYKACY wherein R is A or G, Y is C or U, and K is G or U.

The present invention relates to a small activating nucleic acid molecules and uses thereof for treating diseases and conditions, such as thrombocytopenia, related to THPO protein deficiency or insufficiency. As described herein, small activating nucleic acid molecules can be double-stranded or single-stranded RNA molecules targeting the promoter region of the Thpo/THPO gene through an RNA activation mechanism and comprise a first nucleic acid strand and a second nucleic acid strand. The double-stranded RNA molecule targeting the promoter region of the Thpo/THPO gene comprises two nucleic acid strands of 16 to 35 nucleotides in length, wherein one nucleic acid strand has at least 75% homology or complementarity to a target selected from the promoter region of the Thpo/THPO gene. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions and formulations comprising the small activating nucleic acid molecules and methods for up-regulating the expression of the Thpo/THPO gene in a cell and treating diseases and conditions, related to THPO protein deficiency or insufficiency, by administering small activating nucleic acid molecules, pharmaceutical compositions, and formulations thereof.

Provided herein, inter alia, are double stranded oligonucleotide molecules and methods of making the molecules. The double stranded oligonucleotide molecules include a first oligonucleotide strand comprising a first nucleic acid sequence bound to a second nucleic acid sequence through a first spacer, wherein said second nucleic acid sequence is bound to a third nucleic acid sequence through a second spacer and a second oligonucleotide strand comprising a fourth nucleic acid sequence bound to a fifth nucleic acid sequence through a third spacer, wherein said fifth nucleic acid sequence is bound to a sixth nucleic acid sequence through a fourth spacer, wherein the second nucleic acid sequence and the fifth nucleic acid sequence are hybridized to form a double stranded nucleic acid core of said double stranded oligonucleotide.

The object of the present invention is to provide a nucleic acid agent that is efficiently delivered to the nervous system, for example, the central nervous system to which drug delivery can be prevented by BBB, and produces an antisense effect on the target transcriptional product at the delivery site, and a composition comprising the same. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a double-stranded nucleic acid complex formed by annealing a first nucleic acid strand that hybridizes to a part of a target transcriptional product and has an antisense effect on the target transcriptional product, and a second nucleic acid strand that comprises a base sequence complementary to the first nucleic acid strand and is bound to a C.sub.22-35 alkyl group optionally substituted with a hydroxy group or an analog thereof.

The invention relates to a nucleic acid aptamer with the capability of binding specifically to a and inhibiting TLR-4, to a complex comprising said aptamer and a functional group, as well as to pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The invention also relates to uses and methods for detecting TLR-4 and to uses and methods for inhibiting TLR-4. Finally, the invention also relates to an aptamer for use in manufacturing a drug for the treatment of a pathology characterized by an increase in expression of TLR4 and/or an increase in activation of TLR-4.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide compositions, methods, systems, and kits for controlling the activity and/or improving the specificity of RNA-programmable endonucleases, such as Cas9. For example, provided are guide RNAs (gRNAs) that are engineered to exist in an “on” or “off” state, which control the binding and hence cleavage activity of RNA-programmable endonucleases. Some aspects of this disclosure provide mRNA-sensing gRNAs that modulate the activity of RNA-programmable endonucleases based on the presence or absence of a target mRNA. Some aspects of this disclosure provide gRNAs that modulate the activity of an RNA-programmable endonuclease based on the presence or absence of an extended DNA (xDNA).

The disclosure relates to double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNAi) agents and compositions targeting a SOD1 gene, as well as methods of inhibiting expression of a SOD1 gene and methods of treating subjects having a SOD1-associated neurodegenerative disease or disorder, e.g., Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Down's syndrome (DS), using such dsRNAi agents and compositions.

Developed and provided is: a nucleic acid agent that is efficiently delivered to the central nervous system, to which drug delivery is inhibited by the blood brain barrier mechanism, and that provides an antisense effect to a target transcription product at the delivery site; and a composition containing such a nucleic acid agent. Provided is a double-stranded nucleic acid complex consisting of a first nucleic acid strand and a second nucleic acid strand that are annealed to each other; wherein the first nucleic acid strand hybridizes with part of a target transcription product and has an antisense effect on the target transcription product; and wherein the second nucleic acid strand includes a base sequence complementary to the first nucleic acid strand and is conjugated to a phosphatidylethanolamine or an analog thereof.