Patent ID: 7256182

Claim:
A method for delivering nucleic acid to cells in a tissue of interest, comprising: contacting the tissue with a plurality of agents which increase vascular permeability to an exogenous nucleic acid, said agents selected from the group consisting of serotonin, bradykinin, platelet-activating factor (PAF), prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ), histamine, vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF), zona occludens toxin (ZOT), interleukin-2, L-N-monomethyl arginine (L-NMMA), and L-N-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME); and administering to the tissue the exogenous nucleic acid under an effective amount of low calcium ion concentration of less than or equal to 500 micromolar, whereby transfer efficiency of the exogenous nucleic acid by the cells in the tissue is increased.