Trans-splicing RNA (tsRNA)

1. A trans-splicing RNA (tsRNA) molecule comprising:

a plurality of binding domains specific for parts of genes that associate with or are biomarkers for a disease to be treated;

nucleic acid encoding at least one expressible suicide protein or a protein that is a component of a suicide system; and

at least one splice signal,

wherein the tsRNA includes at least one of:

said nucleic acid encoding at least one expressible protein comprises two A/G-rich exonic splice enhancers (ESE) generated by using degenerative alternative codons that do not alter the amino acid sequence;

said plurality of binding domains comprise a binding site comprising at least 25 consecutive unstructured nucleotides (nt) having no internal binding and/or self-complementary sequences and within or outside said binding site said binding domain, when of a length of 44 nt or longer, have at least one, or a plurality of, mismatch nucleotide(s) with respect to said genes; or

said plurality of binding domains are complementary to different genes that associate with or are biomarkers for a disease to be treated.

2. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of binding domains include a binding site that comprises a sequence of nucleotides selected from the list comprising or consisting of: 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300 or more nucleotides.

3. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of binding domains comprise a sequence of nucleotides that is at least 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99% or 100% complementary to said part of a gene that associates with or is a biomarker for a disease to be treated.

4. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein mismatches in said plurality of binding domains are positioned to avoid any stretches of 45 nt or longer that are perfectly complementary to the target, including or excluding said binding site.

5. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said at least one expressible suicide protein is the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk).

6. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said tsRNA also includes a spacer sequence adjacent to said plurality of binding domains.

7. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said tsRNA, outside each binding domain, comprises at least one cis-binding or self-binding domain.

8. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said tsRNA comprises, outside each binding domain and 3′ of said molecule, a highly structured sequence of RNA that is folded, or pairs with itself, due to the presence of self-complementary sequences.

9. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein highly structured RNA is adjacent a spacer located between it and a polyA site.

10. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said disease is cancer or a viral infection or a bacterial infection or an acquired genetic disease caused by mutations triggered by transposable elements, radiation, chemicals, or unknown triggers.

11. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 10 wherein said cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer, penile cancer, skin cancers, melanoma, malignant melanoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, basal-cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, lung cancer, cell bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon or rectal cancer, anal cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, acute myelogenous or myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CML), chronic myelogenous or myeloid leukemia (CML), hairy cell leukemia (HCL), T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (P-TLL), large granular lymphocytic leukemia, adult T-cell leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, mouth or throat cancer, oropharyngeal cancers, stomach cancer, brain tumours, bone cancer, or stem cell cancers.

12. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 10 wherein said viral infection is an infection with a retrovirus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), lentiviruses, human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2), human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 (HPV-16 and HPV-18), hepadnavirus HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, and/or HEV, a herpesvirus, herpes simplex (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), an adenovirus, an adeno-associated virus, or an influenza virus.

13. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 10 wherein said bacterial infection is an infection with Bartonella henselae, Francisella tularensis, Listeria monocytogenes, salmonella species, Salmonella typhi, Brucella species, Legionella species, Mycobacteria species, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Nocardia species, Rhodococcus species, Yersinia species , or Neisseria meningitides.

14. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 10 wherein said acquired genetic disease is Neurofibromatosis 1 and 2, Mc Cune Albright, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Epidermolysis bullosa, Fanconi A and C, Philadelphia chromosome, Hemophilia A and B, cystic fibrosis, Muckle Wells syndrome, lipoprotein lipase deficiency, B-thalassemia, or pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency.

15. A cell containing said tsRNA according to claim 1 .

16. A vector containing said tsRNA according to claim 1 .

17. A method of targeting a diseased cell comprising:

topical application; intranasal application; alveolar application; systemic application; oral application; intravenous application; intramuscular application; subcutaneous application; cutaneous application; intraperitoneal application; or injection into a tumor with tsRNA, or a vector containing the tsRNA, according to claim 1 in vivo and, optionally, exposing said cell to other component(s) of said suicide system effective to kill said cell.

18. A medicament comprising said tsRNA according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one further component of said suicide system effective to trigger death of a cell expressing said trans-spliced RNA.

19. A pharmaceutical composition comprising said tsRNA according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one further component of said suicide system effective to trigger death of a cell expressing said trans-spliced RNA; and a carrier suitable for human or veterinary use.

20. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim A wherein said one further component of said suicide system is selected from the group comprising or consisting of ganciclovir, cytosine deaminase-5-fluorocytosine, cytochrome P450-ifosfamide, cytochrome P450-cyclophosphamide, and nitroreductase-5-[aziridin-1-yl]-2,4-dinitrobenzamide.

21. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said nucleic acid encoding at least one expressible protein comprises two A/G-rich exonic splice enhancers (ESE) generated by using degenerative alternative codons that do not alter the amino acid sequence.

22. A trans-splicing RNA according to claim 1 , wherein said binding domain comprise a binding site comprising at least 25 consecutive unstructured nucleotides (nt) having no internal binding and/or self-complementary sequences and within or outside said binding site said binding domain, when of a length of 44 nt or longer, have at least one, or a plurality of, mismatch nucleotide(s) with respect to said genes.

23. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of said binding domains are complementary to the same parts of a gene that associates with or is a biomarker for a disease to be treated.

24. The trans-splicing RNA molecule according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of binding domains are complementary to different genes that associate with or are biomarkers for a disease to be treated.

25. A trans-splicing RNA (tsRNA) molecule comprising:

a plurality of binding domains specific for parts of genes that associate with or are biomarkers for a disease to be treated;

nucleic acid encoding at least one expressible protein; and

at least one splice signal,

wherein said plurality of binding domains comprise a binding site comprising at least 25 consecutive unstructured nucleotides (nt) having no internal binding and/or self-complementary sequences and within or outside said binding site said binding domain, when of a length of 44 nt or longer, have at least one, or a plurality of, mismatch nucleotide(s) with respect to said genes.