This patent family, owned by Alnylam, covers short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and their use to mediate RNAi in mammalian cells.

"The Kreutzer-Limmer patent family is an integral component of Alnylam's strategy to build value today through its leading IP portfolio in the field of RNAi," said Vincent Miles, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Business Development of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. "There can be few better-known names than Sigma in the world of life-science research suppliers, and we are delighted to have them become the seventh such supplier, and twelfth company overall, to have taken a license to Alnylam's Kreutzer-Limmer patent family."

"Sigma is a global provider of products for functional genomics and gene silencing," said Keith Jolliff, Ph.D., Strategic Marketing Manager for Sigma. "This license agreement with Alnylam further strengthens Sigma's position as a key licensed supplier of siRNAs to the scientific community."

RNA interference, or RNAi, is a naturally occurring mechanism within cells for selectively silencing and regulating specific genes. Since many diseases are caused by the inappropriate activity of specific genes, the ability to silence and regulate such genes selectively through RNAi could provide a means to treat a wide range of human diseases. The discovery of RNAi has been heralded by many as a major breakthrough, and the journal Science named RNAi the top scientific achievement of 2002, as well as one of the top 10 scientific advances of 2003.

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The condition currently exacts a huge financial burden on the system, with surviving babies often being treated in neo-natal intensive care units for lengthy periods as well as any future complications that may arise in adulthood. It obviously also takes a heavy emotional toll on the mother. This latest discovery will likely lessen both.

"This is an exciting discovery that holds great clinical potential," noted Dr. Nathalie Fleming, an OB/GYN and Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa. "It is often difficult to identify the reason for these growth restricted fetuses. Having discovered a marker like this may help us diagnose the cause of these small fetuses and allow us to monitor these high risk pregnancies more carefully."

"I am delighted that we are able to collaborate in this exciting project where basic science research helps to unravel the mysteries of human reproductive diseases. With the human genome sequenced, treatment of human diseases in the future may be revolutionized and tailored to the patient's genetic makeup," said Dr. Ben Tsang, Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Health Research Institute and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Ottawa.

The research was funded thanks to a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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