Compositions and methods for inhibiting expression of factor VII gene

1. A double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA), wherein said dsRNA is less than 30 nucleotides and comprises at least two sequences that are complementary to each other and wherein a sense strand of the dsRNA comprises a first sequence and an antisense strand of the dsRNA comprises a second sequence comprising a region that is complementary to an mRNA encoding Factor VII, wherein said region is less than 30 nucleotides in length, and wherein the second sequence consists of at least 15 contiguous nucleotides of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

2. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the dsRNA reduces liver Factor VII mRNA levels in rats by at least 25% silencing with a single administration of a dose 98N12-5 formulated Factor VII-targeting siRNA.

3. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein said dsRNA comprises at least one modified nucleotide.

4. The dsRNA of claim 3 , wherein said modified nucleotide is chosen from the group consisting of: a 2′-O-methyl modified nucleotide, a nucleotide comprising a 5′-phosphorothioate group, and a terminal nucleotide linked to a cholesteryl derivative or dodecanoic acid bisdecylamide group.

5. The dsRNA of claim 3 , wherein said modified nucleotide is chosen from the group consisting of: a 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro modified nucleotide, a 2′-deoxy-modified nucleotide, a locked nucleotide, an abasic nucleotide, 2′-amino-modified nucleotide, 2′-alkyl-modified nucleotide, morpholino nucleotide, a phosphoramidate, and a non-natural base comprising nucleotide.

6. The dsRNA of claim 1 comprising a phosphorothioate or a 2′-modified nucleotide.

7. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the region of complementarity is at least 15 nucleotides in length.

8. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the region of complementarity is 19-21 nucleotides in length.

9. A cell comprising the dsRNA of claim 1 .

10. A pharmaceutical composition, comprising a dsRNA of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

11. A method for inhibiting the expression of a Factor VII gene in a cell, the method comprising:

(a) introducing into the cell a double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) of claim 1 ; and

(b) maintaining the cell produced in step (a) for a time sufficient to obtain degradation of the mRNA transcript of the Factor VII gene, thereby inhibiting expression of the Factor VII gene in the cell.

12. A method of treating or managing a viral hemorrhagic fever comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment or management a therapeutically effective amount of a dsRNA of claim 1 .

13. A vector comprising a regulatory sequence operably linked to a nucleotide sequence that encodes at least one strand of a dsRNA of claim 1 .

14. A cell comprising the vector of claim 13 .

15. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the second sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

16. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the second sequence consists of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

17. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the first sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.

18. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the first sequence consists of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1.

19. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein the first sequence consists of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 and the second sequence consists of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.