| abstract |
A biodegradable, mixed polymeric micelle used to deliver a selected nucleic acid into a targeted host cell contains an amphiphilic polyester-polycation copolymer and an amphiphilic polyester-sugar copolymer. The polyester-polycation copolymer forms an electrostatic interaction with polyanionic nucleic acids, and the polyester-sugar copolymer directs the micelle-nucleic acid complex to cells in vivo. Additional copolymers with similar properties may also be included. The composition improves delivery efficiency by providing a particulate gene carrier for which particle size and charge density are easily controlled by multivariate means. Various kinds of ligands and other functional compounds may be also be introduced using the composition. The composition may be used in a method for transforming a targeted host cell with a selected nucleic acid. |