Patent ID: 8097277

Claim:
A method for delivering an anionic compound to a target cell, comprising: contacting a composition comprising an interpolyelectrolyte complex with the target cell thereby allowing the target cell to uptake the composition, wherein said interpolyelectrolyte complex comprises: a. a dynamic charge state cationic polymer having a polymeric backbone formed from monomeric units, and one or more removable functional groups attached to the polymeric backbone through one or more labile linkages, wherein the one or more removable functional groups are selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclic, aryl, and heteroaryl group; and b. one or more anions complexed to said cationic polymer; wherein when the interpolyelectrolyte complex enters the target cell, at least one or more of the removable functional groups is removed from the dynamic charge state cationic polymer which decreases the cationic charge density of the dynamic charge state cationic polymer thereby causing said one or more anions to disassociate from the cationic polymer.