Reagents for treatment of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) and use thereof

1. A nucleic acid comprising a DNA sequence which encodes a short hairpin micro-RNA (shmiR) targeting a transcript of PABPN1, said shmiR comprising:

an effector sequence of at least 17 nucleotides in length;

an effector complement sequence;

a stemloop sequence; and

a primary micro RNA (pri-miRNA) backbone;

wherein the effector sequence is complementary to a region of corresponding length in an RNA transcript set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13 or complementary to a region of corresponding length in an RNA transcript set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13 with the exception of 1, 2, 3 or 4 base mismatches relative to the RNA transcript set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.

2. The nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the shmiR comprises an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 39 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 38.

3. The nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the shmiR comprises, in a 5′ to 3′ direction:

(a) a 5′ flanking sequence of the pri-miRNA backbone;

the effector complement sequence;

the stemloop sequence;

the effector sequence; and

a 3′ flanking sequence of the pri-miRNA backbone; or

(b) a 5′ flanking sequence of the pri-miRNA backbone;

the effector sequence;

the stemloop sequence;

the effector complement sequence; and

a 3′ flanking sequence of the pri-miRNA backbone.

4. The nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the stemloop sequence is the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 40;

(b) the pri-miRNA backbone is a pri-miR-30a backbone; and/or

(c) the 5′ flanking sequence of the pri-miRNA backbone is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41 and the 3′ flanking sequence of the pri-miRNA backbone is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 42.

5. The nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the shmiR comprises a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55; and/or

(b) the DNA sequence which encodes the shmiR is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 68.

6. A plurality of nucleic acids, comprising:

(a) at least one nucleic acid according to claim 1 ; and

(b) at least one further nucleic acid comprising a DNA sequence which encodes a shmiR comprising:

an effector sequence of at least 17 nucleotides in length;

an effector complement sequence;

a stemloop sequence; and

a pri-miRNA backbone;

wherein the effector sequence is substantially complementary to a region of corresponding length in an RNA transcript set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-12.

7. An expression vector comprising:

(a) a nucleic acid according to claim 1 ;

(b) a ddRNAi construct comprising the nucleic acid of (a); or

(c) a DNA construct comprising a ddRNAi construct of (b) and a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct.

8. The expression vector of claim 7 , wherein the expression vector is a viral vector selected from the group consisting of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, a retroviral vector, an adenoviral (AdV) vector and a lentiviral (LV) vector.

9. A composition comprising:

(a) a nucleic acid according to claim 1 ;

(b) a ddRNAi construct comprising the nucleic acid of (a);

(c) a DNA construct comprising the ddRNAi construct of (b) and a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct;

(d) an expression vector comprising (a), (b) or (c); or (e) a plurality of expression vectors comprising at least one expression vector comprising the ddRNAi construct of (b) and at least one expression vector comprising a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct;

optionally wherein the composition further comprises one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers.

10. A method of inhibiting expression of a PABPN1 protein which is causative of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) in a subject, said method comprising administering to the subject:

(a) a nucleic acid according to claim 1 ;

(b) a ddRNAi construct comprising the nucleic acid of (a);

(c) a DNA construct comprising a ddRNAi construct of (b) and a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct;

(d) an expression vector comprising (a), (b) or (c);

(e) a plurality of expression vectors comprising at least one expression vector comprising the ddRNAi construct of (b) and at least one expression vector comprising a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct; or

a composition comprising any one of (a)-(e).

11. A method of treating oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) in a subject suffering therefrom, said method comprising administering to the subject:

(a) a nucleic acid according to claim 1 ;

(b) a ddRNAi construct comprising the nucleic acid of (a);

(c) a DNA construct comprising a ddRNAi construct of (b) and a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct;

(d) an expression vector comprising (a), (b) or (c);

(e) a plurality of expression vectors comprising at least one expression vector comprising the ddRNAi construct of (b) and at least one expression vector comprising a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct; or

(f) a composition comprising any one of (a)-(e).

12. A DNA-directed RNA interference (ddRNAi) construct comprising a nucleic acid according to claim 1 .

13. The ddRNAi construct according to claim 12 , comprising a further nucleic acid comprising a DNA sequence which encodes a shmiR comprising:

an effector sequence of at least 17 nucleotides in length;

an effector complement sequence;

a stemloop sequence; and

a pri-miRNA backbone;

wherein the effector sequence is substantially complementary to a region of corresponding length in an RNA transcript set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-12.

14. The ddRNAi construct according to claim 13 , wherein:

(a) the further nucleic acid encodes a shmiR comprising an effector sequence which is substantially complementary to a region of corresponding length in an RNA transcript set forth in one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10;

(b) the ddRNAi construct comprises a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 39 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 38 (shmiR17) and a further nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14 (shmiR2);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 16 (shmiR3);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 21 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20 (shmiR5);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 27 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 26 (shmiR9);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 30 (shmiR13); and

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 33 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32 (shmiR14);

and/or

(c) the ddRNAi construct comprises a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 68 (shmiR17) and a further nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 56 (shmiR2);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 57 (shmiR3);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59 (shmiR5);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 62 (shmiR9);

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64 (shmiR13); and

a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65 (shmiR14).

15. The ddRNAi construct according to claim 13 , said ddRNAi construct comprising:

(a) a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 30 (shmiR13); and

(b) a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 39 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 38 (shmiR17).

16. The ddRNAi construct according to claim 15 , said ddRNAi construct comprising:

(a) a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of the DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64 (shmiR13); and

(b) a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of the DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 68 (shmiR17).

17. The ddRNAi construct according to claim 12 , comprising a RNA pol III promoter upstream of the or each nucleic acid encoding a shmiR, optionally wherein the or each RNA pol III promoter is a U6 promoter selected from U6-9 promoter, a U6-1 promoter and U6-8 promoter, or a H1 promoter.

18. A DNA construct comprising:

(a) a ddRNAi construct according to claim 12 ; and

(b) a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct.

19. The DNA construct according to claim 18 , wherein the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is codon optimised such that its mRNA transcript is not targeted by the shmiRs of the ddRNAi construct, optionally wherein the codon optimised DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73.

20. The DNA construct according to claim 18 , wherein the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is operably-linked to a promoter comprised within the PABPN1 construct and positioned upstream of the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein, optionally wherein the promoter comprised within the PABPN1 construct is a muscle-specific promoter.

21. The DNA construct according to claim 18 , wherein:

(a) the DNA construct comprises, in a 5′ to 3′ direction, the ddRNAi construct and the PABPN1 construct; or

(b) the DNA construct comprises, in a 5′ to 3′ direction, the PABPN1 construct and the ddRNAi construct.

22. A plurality of expression vectors comprising:

(a) an expression vector comprising the ddRNAi construct of claim 12 ; and

(b) an expression vector comprising a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiR(s) encoded by the ddRNAi construct.

23. The plurality of expression vectors according to claim 22 , wherein the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is codon optimised such that its mRNA transcript is not targeted by the shmiRs of the ddRNAi construct, optionally wherein the codon optimised DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73.

24. The plurality of expression vectors according to claim 22 , wherein the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is operably-linked to a promoter comprised within the PABPN1 construct and positioned upstream of the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein, optionally wherein the promoter comprised within the PABPN1 construct is a muscle-specific promoter.

25. An adeno-associated virus (AAV) comprising a DNA construct comprising:

(a) a muscle-specific promoter;

(b) a ddRNAi construct comprising: a nucleic acid comprising a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 39 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 38; and a nucleic acid comprising a DNA sequence encoding a shmiR comprising an effector sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31 and an effector complement sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 30; and

(c) a PABPN1 construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding a functional PABPN1 protein having a mRNA transcript which is not targeted by the shmiRs encoded by the ddRNAi construct.

26. The AAV of claim 25 , wherein the DNA construct comprises, in a 5′ to 3′ direction, the muscle-specific promoter, the PABPN1 construct, and the ddRNAi construct.

27. The AAV of claim 26 , wherein:

the muscle-specific promoter is a Spc512 promoter;

the ddRNAi construct comprises a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of the DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 68 and a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of the DNA sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64; and

wherein the DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is codon optimised and its mRNA transcript is not targeted by the shmiRs of the ddRNAi construct, optionally wherein the codon optimised DNA sequence encoding the functional PABPN1 protein is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 73.