RNA Interference Mediated Inhibition of MAP Kinase Gene Expression or Expression of Genes Involved in MAP Kinase Pathway Using Short Interfering Nucleic Acid (SiNA)

A chemically modified nucleic acid molecule, wherein:

• (a) the nucleic acid molecule comprises a sense strand and a separate antisense strand, each strand having one or more pyrimidine nucleotides and one or more purine nucleotides;
• (b) each strand of the nucleic acid molecule is independently 18 to 27 nucleotides in length;
• (c) an 18 to 27 nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand is complementary to a human c-Jun RNA sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:1715;
• (d) an 18 to 27 nucleotide sequence of the sense strand is complementary to the antisense strand and comprises an 18 to 27 nucleotide sequence of the human RNA sequence;
• and
• (e) 50 percent or more of the nucleotides in at least one strand comprise a 2′-sugar modification, wherein the 2′-sugar modification of any of the pyrimidine nucleotides differs from the 2′-sugar modification of any of the purine nucleotides.