Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
COMPOUNDS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING PRION EXPRESSION

Abstract:

Provided are compounds, methods, and pharmaceutical compositions for reducing the amount or activity of PRNP RNA in a cell or animal, and in certain instances reducing the amount of PrP protein in a cell or animal. Such compounds, methods, and pharmaceutical compositions are useful to ameliorate at least one symptom or hallmark of a neurodegenerative disease. Such symptoms and hallmarks spongiform changes in the brain, development of abnormal protein aggregates, neuronal loss, markers of neuronal loss, rapidly progressing dementia, and death. Such neurodegenerative diseases include prion diseases, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (fCJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia, kuru, Alzheimer's disease, or Parkinson's disease.