Allele-specific RNA interference

Human diseases caused by dominant, gain-of-function mutations develop in heterozygotes bearing one mutant and one wild-type copy of a gene. Because the wild-type gene often performs important functions, whereas the mutant gene is toxic, any therapeutic strategy must selectively inhibit the mutant while retaining wild-type gene expression. The present invention includes methods of specifically inhibiting the expression of a mutant allele, while preserving the expression of a co-expressed wild-type allele using RNAi, a therapeutic strategy for treating genetic disorders associated with dominant, gain-of-function gene mutations. The invention also includes small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that selectively suppress mutant, but not wild-type, expression of copper zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), which causes inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The present invention further provides asymmetric siRNAs and shRNAs with enhanced efficacy and specificity and mediating RNAi.