Patent ID: 6153596
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: A61K,C12N

Abstract:
A transfection composition which comprises a nucleic acid or a salt thereof and a polycationic oligomer or a salt thereof having the repeating structure: ##STR10## where M is an optional flexible spacer, r1 and r2, independently, are 1 or 0 to indicate the presence or absence of a given M; REP is a repeating unit containing a cationic side group; m1, m2, and m3 are integers indicating the number of repeating units and 1 is an integer indicating the number of repetitions of ##STR11## wherein the total number of repeating units in the polycationic oligomer n is equal to 1(m1+m2)+m3, wherein REP is a repeating unit having the structure: ##STR12## wherein Y.sup.1 is O or NR.sup.3 and Y.sup.2 is O or NR.sup.4 and one of Q.sup.1 or Q.sup.2 in a repeating unit is --(CH.sub.2).sub.w --, where w is an integer ranging from 1 to 3 and the other of Q.sup.1 or Q.sup.2 in a repeating unit is --CH(R')--; and R', R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 can be H, a lower alkyl having from 1-3 carbon atoms, a non-cationic side group or a cationic side group with the proviso that there is one and only one cationic side group in each repeating unit and wherein n is selected such that the polycationic oligomer is comparable in length to said nucleic acid.