EFFICIENT NUCLEAR DELIVERY OF ANTISENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES

摘要

Provided is a biocompatible polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymersome system for the delivery of oligonucleotides, including antisense RNA, siRNA and RNAi, to a cell or tissue target, and method of use therefore, wherein the method comprises encapsulating the oligonucleotide in a biodegradable neutral, nano-transforming polymersome delivery vehicle and delivering the encapsulated oligonucleotide to the cell or tissue target in vitro or in vivo, particularly for treating a disease, such cancer or cellular hyperproliferation. The degradable polymersome, and the oligonucleotides stably encapsulated therein are taken up passively by cells and delivered into endolysosomes, wherein the polymersomes decompose at a known rate at a known pH, thereby releasing encapsulated oligonucleotides in a controlled manner within the cell and facilitating delivery of antisense oligonucleotide or siRNA or RNAi into the nucleus of the cell target.