Multifunctional molecular complexes for gene transfer to cells

Abstract

A multifunctional molecular complex for the transfer of a nucleic acid composition to a target cell is provided. The complex is comprised of A) said nucleic acid composition and B) a transfer moiety comprising 1) one or more cationic polyamines bound to said nucleic acid compositions, 2) one or more endosome membrane disrupting components attached to at least one nitrogen of the polyamine and 3) one or more receptor specific binding components.

1 . A method for the transfer of a nucleic acid composition to cells, comprising the step of introducing a multifunctional molecular complex into cells, 
 wherein said multifunctional molecular complex comprises: 
 A) a nucleic acid composition; and  
 B) a transfer moiety comprising 
 (i) one or more cationic polyamine components, wherein each cationic polyamine is non-covalently bound to said nucleic acid composition and comprises from three to twelve nitrogen atoms; and  
 (ii) one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components attached to at least one nitrogen atom of at least one of said polyamine components through an alkyl, carboxamide, carbamate, thiocarbamate, or carbamoyl bridging group, said one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components independently selected from (a) at least one lipophilic long chain alkyl group or (b) a fusogenic peptide, cholic acid or cholesteryl group or a derivative thereof;  
 
   wherein said multifunctional molecular complex transfers said nucleic acid composition to said cells.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said nucleic acid composition is a nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes a peptide or protein, or serves as a template for a nucleic acid molecule.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the peptide, protein or nucleic acid molecule is a product of industrial, commercial or scientific value, selected from the group consisting of therapeutic agents; vaccines; foodstuffs and nutritional supplements; compounds of agricultural significance; herbicides and plant growth regulants; insecticides; miticides; rodenticides; and fungicides; compounds useful in animal health; parasiticides; nematocides.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the target cells are cultures of host cells comprising microorganism cells of bacteria, yeast, plant or mammalian cells; said cell cultures being maintained in accordance with fermentation techniques which maximize production of the peptide, protein or functional nucleic acid molecule being produced.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the nucleic acid composition comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein and is operably linked to regulatory sequences.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the nucleic acid composition comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein which comprises at least one epitope that is identical or substantially similar to an epitope of an antigen against which an immune response is desired, said nucleotide sequence being operably linked to regulatory sequences.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transfer moiety of said multifunctional molecular complex further comprises at least one receptor specific binding component which is a ligand for a receptor on a target cell.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the receptor specific binding component is attached through a bridging group to either (i) to a further nitrogen atom of at least one of said cationic polyamine components to which said one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components is attached, or (ii) to a nitrogen atom of at least one further polyamine component which does not have attached thereto any endosome membrane disruption promoting component.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the bridging group through which the receptor specific binding component is attached is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, carboxamide, carbamate, thiocarbamate, and carbamoyl bridging group.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cationic polyamine comprises the formula (1):  
         NR(R 3 )—[—(CR 1 R 2 ) m —N(R 3 )—] n —(CR 1 R 2 ) m —NR(R 3 )  (1)  wherein: 
 R, R 1  and R 2  are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1-6  alkyl;  
 m in each occurrence is independently selected from the integers 2 through 5 inclusive;  
 n is selected from the integers 1 through 10 inclusive; and  
 R 3  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; C 1-6  alkyl, an endosome membrane disruption promoting component, and a receptor specific binding component, or NR(R 3 ) is guanidino,  
   wherein said transfer moiety comprises at least one endosome membrane disruption promoting component attached to at least one nitrogen atom of at least one of said cationic polyamine components.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components are independently selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) —B—(CR 1 R 2 ) j —C(R) 3 , where R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-6  alkyl, or C(R) 3  is C 6 H 5  aromatic or absent; R 1  and R 2  are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1-6  alkyl; j is an integer from 0 to 24 inclusive; and B is optionally absent, or is a bridging group of the formula: 
 (i) —(CR 1 R 2 ) k —C(═O)-Z-;  
 (ii) —(CR 1 R 2 ) k —N(R)—C(═O)-Z-;  
 (iii) —(CR 1 R 2 ) k —N(R)-{-C(═O)—CH 2 —O-[—(CH 2 ) 2 —O-] 1 —(CH 2 ) k —N(R)} p —C(═O)-Z-; or  
 (iv) —(CR 1 R 2 ) k —C(═O)—{—N(R)—[—(CH 2 ) 2 —O—] l —CH 2 —C(═O)} p -Z-;  
 where k is, independently, an integer from 1 to 11 inclusive, 1 is an integer from 0 to 30 inclusive, and p is an integer from 1 to 3 inclusive; R is independently defined as above or is absent, R 1  and R 2  are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1-6  alkyl; and Z is O, OH, S, N(R), or is absent;  
   (b) —B—(R 4 )R, where R, R 1  and R 2  are each independently defined as above; B cannot be absent and is a bridging group independently selected from groups (i) through (iv) above, and additionally from the group of the formula: 
 (v) —(CR 1 R 2 ) j ═—X—, where j=is an integer from 1 to 8 inclusive; R 1  and R 2  are each independently defined as above;  
 X is O, S, N(R), or absent; and  
 R 4  is independently selected from the group consisting of:  
 (i) fusogenic peptides comprising spike glycoproteins of enveloped animal viruses;  
 (ii) cholic acid derivatives of the formula (2):  
                     
 where:  
      represents a bond of unspecified stereochemistry;       represents a single or double bond, forming a saturated or unsaturated portion of the ring system, provided that they cannot both be unsaturated at the same time, whereby the ring system must be either Δ4 or Δ5;    R 6  is —H, —OH, —CO 2 H, —C(═O)NH 2 , —OC(═O)NH 2 , —NH 2 , or —O(CH 2 CH 2 O) n ═H, where n=is an integer from 1 to 6 inclusive;    R 7  is a radical that forms the point of attachment of the cholic acid derivative, comprising —C 1-6  alkyl- or —C 1-6  alkylcarbonyl-; and    R 8  is C 1-6  alkyl; and    (iii) cholesteryl derivatives of the formula (3):                          where:       represents a bond of unspecified stereochemistry;       represents a single or double bond, forming a saturated or unsaturated portion of the ring system, provided that they cannot both be unsaturated at the same time, whereby the ring system must be either Δ4 or Δ5;    R 6a  is a radical that forms the point of attachment of the cholesteryl derivative, comprising —C 1-6  alkyl-, —OC(═O)—, or —OCH 2 C(═O)—;    R 7a  is C 1-6  alkyl; and    R 8a  is C 1-6  alkyl.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the cationic polyamine has the formula NH(R 30 )—(CH 2 ) 3 —N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) 4 —N(R 3 )—(CH 2 ) 3 —NH(R 30 ) wherein: 
 R 30  is hydrogen or NH(R 30 ) is guanidino; and    at least one R 3  is an endosome membrane disruption promoting component of the formula —B—(CR 1 R 2 ) j —C(R) 3 .    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said transfer moiety comprises more than one cationic polyamine component.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein a first cationic polyamine component comprises an endosome membrane disruption promoting component and a second cationic polyamine component comprises a receptor specific binding component.  
     
     
         15 . A method of immunization against a pathogen comprising the step of introducing a multifunctional molecular complex; 
 wherein said multifunctional molecular complex comprises: 
 A) a nucleic acid composition; and  
 B) a transfer moiety comprising 
 (i) one or more cationic polyamine components, wherein each cationic polyamine is non-covalently bound to said nucleic acid composition and comprises from three to twelve nitrogen atoms; and  
 (ii) one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components attached to at least one nitrogen atom of at least one of said polyamine components through an alkyl, carboxamide, carbamate, thiocarbamate, or carbamoyl bridging group, said one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components independently selected from (a) at least one lipophilic long chain alkyl group or (b) a fusogenic peptide, cholic acid or cholesteryl group or a derivative thereof;  
 
   wherein said multifunctional molecular complex transfers said nucleic acid composition to said cells,    wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes a peptide which comprises at least an epitope identical to, or substantially similar to an epitope displayed on said pathogen as antigen and wherein said nucleotide sequence is operatively linked to regulatory sequences; and wherein said nucleic acid molecule is capable of being expressed in the cells.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said nucleic acid molecule is administered intramuscularly.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein said pathogen is a virus selected from the group consisting of: human immunodeficiency virus, HIV; human T cell leukemia virus, HTLV; influenza virus; hepatitis A virus, HAV; hepatitis B virus, HBV; hepatitis C virus, HCV; human papilloma virus, HPV; Herpes simplex 1 virus, HSV1; Herpes simplex 2 virus, HSV2; Cytomegalovirus, CMV; Epstein-Barr virus, EBV; rhinovirus; and, coronavirus.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein at least two or more different nucleic acid molecules are administered to different cells of said individual.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein said different nucleic acid molecules each comprise nucleotide sequences encoding one or more pathogen antigens of the same pathogen.  
     
     
         20 . A method for delivering a nucleic acid molecule to a targeted population of cells of an individual, said method comprising the step of delivering to the individual a multifunctional molecular complex comprising: 
 A) a nucleic acid molecule; and    B) a transfer moiety comprising one or more cationic polyamine components, wherein each cationic polyamine is non-covalently bound to said nucleic acid molecule and each independently comprises a cationic polyamine of the formula (1):      NR(R 3 )—[—(CR 1 R 2 ) m —N(R 3 )—] n —(CR 1 R 2 ) m —NR(R 3 )  (1)    wherein: 
 R, R 1  and R 2  are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1-6  alkyl;  
 m in each occurrence is independently selected from the integers 2 through 5 inclusive,  
 n is selected from the integers 1 through 10 inclusive;  
 R 3  is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; C 1-6  alkyl, and an endosome membrane disruption promoting component, or NR(R 3 ) is guanidino;  
   wherein said transfer moiety comprises at least one endosome membrane disruption promoting component attached to at least one nitrogen atom of at least one of said cationic polyamine components;    wherein said transfer moiety comprises at least one receptor specific binding component attached either (i) to a further nitrogen atom of at least one of said cationic polyamine components to which said one or more endosome membrane disruption promoting components is attached, or (ii) to a nitrogen atom of at least one further polyamine component which does not have attached thereto any endosome membrane disruption promoting component,    wherein said receptor specific binding component which is a ligand for natural receptors of said target cells.