Inhibitors of RTP801 and their use in disease treatment

1. A compound having the structure:

5′ (N) x —Z 3′ (antisense strand)

3′ Z′—(N′) y 5′ (sense strand)

wherein each N and N′ is a ribonucleotide which may be modified or unmodified in its sugar residue and each of (N) x and (N′) y is an oligomer in which each consecutive N or N′ is joined to the next N or N′ by a covalent bond;

wherein each of x and y is an integer from 19 to 40;

wherein each of Z and Z′ may be present or absent, but if present is dTdT and is covalently attached at the 3′ terminus of the strand in which it is present;

and wherein the sequence of (N) x comprises the sequence sequence set forth in either SEQ ID NO:44 or in SEQ ID NO:38.

2. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein the covalent bond is a phosphodiester bond, x=y=19, Z and Z′ are both absent, at least one ribonucleotide is modified in its sugar residue at the 2′ position to be methoxy (2′-O-methyl), alternating ribonucleotides are modified in both the antisense and the sense strands, and the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand is modified in the sugar residue, and the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the sense strand is unmodified in the sugar residue.

3. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein each ribonucleotide at the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand and of the sense strand is independently phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated.

4. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of Z or Z′ is present, and is the dinucleotide dTdT.

5. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein a sugar residue in at least one nucleotide is modified.

6. A compound according to claim 5 , wherein the modification in the sugar residue comprises replacing a 2′ —OH group by a moiety selected from the group consisting of —H, —OCH 3 , —OCH 2 CH 3 , —OCH 2 CH 2 CH 3 , —NH 2 , and —F.

7. A compound according to claim 6 , wherein the moiety is —OCH 3 .

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of (N) x comprises the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No: 38.

9. A compound having the structure:

wherein each of A, C, G and U represents a ribonucleotide; wherein in alternating ribonucleotides in each of the antisense strand and the sense strand, a 2′-O-methyl group is present in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand comprises a 2′-O-methyl group in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the sense strand is unmodified in the sugar residue; wherein each ribonucleotide at the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand and of the sense strand is independently phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated; and wherein each vertical line (|) represents base pairing.

10. A compound having the structure:

wherein each of A, C, G and U represents a ribonucleotide; wherein in alternating ribonucleotides in each of the antisense strand and the sense strand, a 2′-O-methyl group is present in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand comprises a 2′-O-methyl group in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the sense strand is unmodified in the sugar residue;

wherein each ribonucleotide at the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand and of the sense strand is independently phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated; and wherein each vertical line (|) represents base pairing.

11. A compound having the structure:

wherein each of A, C, G and U represents a ribonucleotide; wherein in alternating ribonucleotides in each of the antisense strand and the sense strand, a 2′-O-methyl group is present in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand comprises a 2′-O-methyl group in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the sense strand is unmodified in the sugar residue; wherein each ribonucleotide at the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand and of the sense strand is independently phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated;

wherein each vertical line (|) represents base pairing, and wherein the sense and antisense strand are each 19 nucleotides in length.

12. A compound having the structure:

wherein each of A, C, G and U represents a ribonucleotide; wherein in alternating ribonucleotides in each of the antisense strand and the sense strand, a 2′-O-methyl group is present in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand comprises a 2′-O-methyl group in the sugar residue;

wherein the ribonucleotide at each of the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the sense strand is unmodified in the sugar residue;

wherein each ribonucleotide at the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand and of the sense strand is independently phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated; and

wherein each vertical line (|) represents base pairing, and wherein the sense and antisense strand are each 19 nucleotides in length.

13. A composition comprising a compound of any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, or 10 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.