Inhibition of polyomavirus replication

A method of treatment of a polyomavirus infection in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject a single stranded (ss) RNA antisense oligonucleotide of 18 to 30 ribonucleotides in length comprising a sequence that is a reverse complement of a contiguous stretch of at least 18 nucleobases of a polyomavirus T-antigen pre-mRNA, wherein the ssRNA antisense oligonucleotide comprises a modification capable of rendering an RNA duplex resistant to the action of RNase H, wherein the RNA duplex is formed by the ssRNA antisense oligonucleotide and the T-antigen pre-mRNA, wherein ssRNA antisense oligonucleotide is capable of modulating splicing of said T-antigen pre-mRNA in a cell, and wherein:

• the ssRNA antisense oligonucleotide is directed towards the splice donor site of exon 1, wherein the oligonucleotide comprises one or more nucleobases targeting exon 1 and one or more nucleobases targeting the corresponding intronic region of said splice donor at exon 1, or
• the ssRNA antisense oligonucleotide is directed towards the splice acceptor site of exon 2, wherein the oligonucleotide comprises one or more nucleobases targeting exon 2 and one or more nucleobases targeting the corresponding intronic region of said splice acceptor at exon 2.