Nucleic acid compounds for inhibiting akt gene expression and uses thereof

An mdRNA molecule, comprising a first strand of 15 to 40 nucleotides in length that is complementary to any one of human AKT1 mRNA as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1158, 1159, or 1160, human AKT2 mRNA as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1972, or human AKT3 mRNA as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2483 or 2484, and a second strand and a third strand that are each complementary to non-overlapping regions of the first strand, wherein the second strand and third strand can anneal with the first strand to form at least two double-stranded regions spaced apart by up to 10 nucleotides and thereby forming a gap between the second and third strands, and wherein at least one pyrimidine of the mdRNA comprises a pyrimidine nucleoside according to Formula I or II:

• wherein:
• R1 and R2 are each independently a —H, —OH, —OCH3, —OCH2OCH2CH3, —OCH2CH2OCH3, halogen, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C10 alkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl, alkylsulfonylamino, aminoalkyl, dialkylamino, alkylaminoalkyl, dialkylaminoalkyl, haloalkyl, trifluoromethyl, cycloalkyl, (cycloalkyl)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C2-C10 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted —O-allyl, —O—CH2CH═CH2, —O—CH═CHCH3, substituted or unsubstituted C2-C10 alkynyl, carbamoyl, carbamyl, carboxy, carbonylamino, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, —NH2, —NO2, —C≡N, or heterocyclo group,
• R3 and R4 are each independently a hydroxyl, a protected hydroxyl, a phosphate, or an internucleoside linking group, and
• R5 and R8 are each independently O or S.