This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for
modulating BCL2 gene expression using short interfering nucleic acid
(siNA) molecules. This invention also relates to compounds, compositions,
and methods useful for modulating the expression and activity of other
genes involved in pathways of BCL2 gene expression and/or activity by RNA
interference (RNAi) using small nucleic acid molecules. In particular,
the instant invention features small nucleic acid molecules, such as
short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA),
double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA), and short hairpin RNA
(shRNA) molecules and methods used to modulate the expression of BCL2
genes (e.g., BCL2, BCL-XL, BCL2-L1, MCL-1 CED-9, BAG-1, E1B-194 and/or
BCL-A1). The small nucleic acid molecules are useful in the treatment of
cancer, malignant blood disease, polycytemia vera, idiopathic
myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia, myelodysplastic syndromes,
autoimmune disease, viral infection, and proliferative diseases and
conditions