Compositions and methods for inhibiting expression of CD45 gene

1. A double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA), wherein said dsRNA comprises a sense strand and an antisense strand that form a duplex structure, wherein the antisense strand consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:90 and the sense strand consists of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:89,

wherein each strand is modified as follows to include a 2′-O-methyl ribonucleotide as indicated by a lower case letter “c” or “u” and a phosphorothioate as indicated by a lower case letter “s”;

SEQ ID NO:89 is cuGGcuGAAuuucAGAGcATsT and

SEQ ID NO:90 is UGCUCUGAAAUUcAGCcAGTsT, and wherein said dsRNA targets cleavage of a CD45 mRNA.

2. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein said dsRNA, upon contact with a cell expressing said CD45 gene, inhibits expression of said CD45 gene by at least 40% as compared to expression of a CD45 gene in a cell treated with a control dsRNA.

3. The dsRNA of claim 1 , wherein said dsRNA, upon contact with a cell expressing CD45, inhibits expression of CD45 by at least 40% as compared to expression of a CD45 gene in a cell treated with a control dsRNA as measured in the P388D1 cell assay.

4. A cell comprising the dsRNA of claim 1 .

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

6. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 5 , wherein said dsRNA, upon contact with a cell expressing said CD45 gene, inhibits expression of said CD45 gene by at least 40%, as compared to expression of a CD45 gene in a cell treated with a control dsRNA, as measured in a P388D1 cell assay.

7. A method for inhibiting expression of a CD45 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 CD45 gene, thereby inhibiting expression of the CD45 gene in the cell.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the cell produced in step (a) is maintained for a time sufficient inhibit expression of CD45 by 40% as compared to expression of a CD45 gene in a cell treated with a control dsRNA.

9. A method of treating or managing an autoimmune disease comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment, or management of a therapeutically effective amount of a dsRNA of claim 1 .

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the autoimmune disease is Graves' disease or multiple sclerosis.

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

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the infection is caused by a virus of the group consisting of Ebola, influenza, anthrax, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

13. A vector for inhibiting the expression of the CD45 gene in a cell, said vector comprising a regulatory sequence operably linked to the dsRNA of claim 1 .

14. A cell comprising the vector of claim 13 .