Methods and compositions for preventing ischemia reperfusion injury in organs

A method of prophylaxis of ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI) in a kidney at risk of IRI transplanted into a subject, the method comprising contacting the kidney with a temporary inhibitor of a p53 gene in an amount effective to provide prophylaxis of IRI in the kidney,

• wherein the kidney is from a donor aged 35 years or older, and
• wherein the inhibitor is a synthetic small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) having the structure:
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 37)
• 5′ UGAAGGGUGAAAUAUUCUC 3′ (antisense strand)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 36)
• 3′ ACUUCCCACUUUAUAAGAG 5′ (sense strand)
• wherein each of A, C, U and G is a ribonucleotide and each consecutive ribonucleotide is joined to the next ribonucleotide by a covalent bond;
• and
• wherein alternating ribonucleotides in both the antisense strand and the sense strand are 2′-O-methyl sugar modified ribonucleotides and a 2′-O-methyl sugar modified ribonucleotide is present at both the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the antisense strand and an unmodified ribonucleotide is present at both the 5′ terminus and the 3′ terminus of the sense strand;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.