ANTISENSE-INDUCED EXON EXCLUSION IN TYPE VII COLLAGEN

1 . An antisense oligomer compound of 12 to 40 subunits, comprising:

at least one subunit that is a nucleotide analog having (i) a modified internucleoside linkage, (ii) a modified sugar moiety, or (iii) a combination of the foregoing; and

a targeting sequence complementary to 12 or more contiguous nucleotides in a target region spanning an exon/intron junction of human type VII collagen pre-mRNA, wherein the contiguous nucleotides include the exon/intron junction, and wherein said exon/intron junction comprises the splice junction of exon 80/intron 80.

2 . The antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 , wherein the modified internucleoside linkage is selected from a phosphorothioate internucleoside linkage, a phosphoramidate internucleoside linkage, a phosphorodiamidate internucleoside linkage, or a phosphorodiamidate wherein the phosphorous atom is covalently bonded to a (1,4-piperazin)-1-yl moiety, a substituted (1,4-piperazin)-1-yl moiety, a 4-aminopiperidin-1-yl moiety, or a substituted 4-aminopiperidin-1-yl moiety.

3 . The antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 , wherein the modified sugar moiety includes at least one of a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) subunit, a locked nucleic acid (LNA) subunit, a 2′O,4′C-ethylene-bridged nucleic acid (ENA) subunit, a tricyclo-DNA (tc-DNA) subunit, a 2′O-methyl subunit, a 2′ O-methoxyethyl subunit, a 2′-fluoro subunit, a 2′-O-[2-(N-methylcarbamoyl)ethyl] subunit, or a morpholino subunit.

4 . The antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 , further comprising an arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptide conjugated to the 3′ or the 5′ end of the antisense oligomer compound.

5 . The antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 , wherein the target region comprises SEQ ID NO: 1.

6 . The antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 , wherein the targeting sequence is selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33.

7 . The antisense oligomer according to claim 1 , wherein a nucleobase of each of the subunits is independently adenine, guanine, thymine, uracil, cytosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 5-methyl cytosine, C5-propynyl-modified pyrimidines, or 10-(9-(aminoethoxy) phenoxazinyl).

8 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A pharmaceutical composition, comprising an antisense oligomer compound according to claim 1 .

22 . A method of treating dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and related disorders in a subject in need thereof, comprising:

administering to the subject an effective amount of an antisense oligomer compound according to claim 1 , wherein epidermolysis bullosa and related disorders are selected from recessive type dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, dominant type dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, Hallopeau-Siemens type dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, non-severe form of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, invesa form of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, centripetalis form of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, and non-Hallopeau-Siemens type dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

23 . (canceled)

24 . An antisense oligomer compound comprising a sequence of 12 to 40 subunits that specifically hybridizes to a target region spanning an exon/intron junction of human type VII collagen pre-mRNA, said exon/intron junction comprises the splice junction of exon 80/intron 80.

25 . The antisense oligomer compound of claim 24 , wherein the sequence comprises a targeting sequence complementary to at least 12 contiguous nucleotides in the target region, wherein the targeting sequence comprises a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, is selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, is a fragment of at least 12 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, or is a variant having at least 90% sequence identity to a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, where X is selected from uracil (U) or thymine (T).

26 . (canceled)

27 . (canceled)

28 . A method for increasing functional human type VII collagen expression in a subject in need thereof comprising:

administering an antisense oligomer to a target region in a human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript; and

binding the antisense oligomer to the target region in the human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript,

wherein expression of functional human type VII collagen is increased.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the target region in the human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript is spanning an exon/intron junction of human type VII collagen pre-mRNA, said junction comprises the splice junction of exon 80/intron 80.

30 . (canceled)

31 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the antisense oligomer comprises at least one subunit that is a nucleotide analog having (i) a modified internucleoside linkage, (ii) a modified sugar moiety, or (iii) a combination of the foregoing; and

a targeting sequence complementary to 12 or more contiguous nucleotides in the target region wherein the contiguous nucleotides include the exon/intron junction.

32 - 33 . (canceled)

34 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the targeting sequence comprises a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, is selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, is a fragment of at least 12 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, or is a variant having at least 90% sequence identity to a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS: 2, 3, 4, 6, 31, 32, or 33, where X is selected from uracil (U) or thymine (T).

35 . (canceled)

36 . (canceled)

37 . A method for increasing expression of functional human type VII collagen comprising:

administering the antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 to a target region in a human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript and increasing translation of functional human type VII collagen.

38 - 40 . (canceled)

41 . A method for increasing the accumulation of functional human type VII collagen protein in anchoring fibrils, increasing the accumulation of anchoring fibrils, or increasing the accumulation of functional human type VII collagen protein in anchoring fibrils and increasing the accumulation of anchoring fibrils, comprising:

administering the antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 to a target region in a human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript and increasing translation of functional human type VII collagen.

42 . (canceled)

43 . A method for inhibiting the progression of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and related disorders comprising:

administering the antisense oligomer compound of claim 1 to a target region in a human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript; and, increasing translation of functional human type VII collagen.

44 . A method for increasing the accumulation of functional human type VII collagen in anchoring fibrils in a subject with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa or related disorders thereof, increasing the accumulation of anchoring fibrils in a subject with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa or related disorders thereof, or increasing the accumulation of functional human type VII collagen in anchoring fibrils and the accumulation of anchoring fibrils in a subject with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa or related disorders thereof, said method comprising:

administering an effective amount of the antisense oligomer of claim 1 to a target region in a human type VII collagen pre-mRNA transcript; and

increasing translation functional human type VII collagen,

wherein the accumulation of 1) functional human type VII collagen protein in anchoring fibrils in the subject is increased, 2) anchoring fibrils in the subject is increased, or 3) functional human type VII collagen protein in anchoring fibrils and anchoring fibrils in the subject is increased.