Acid-sensitive polyacetals and methods - Patents

Acid-sensitive polyacetals and methods
United States Patent 7,048,925
Van , et al.
May 23, 2006
Inventors: Van; Sang (San Diego, CA); Viroonchatapan; Nitnara (Oceanside, CA); Ji; Shouping (Vista, CA); Yu; Lei (Carlsbad, CA)
Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation (JP)
Appl. No.: 651394
Filed: August 28, 2003
Abstract
Polyacetals comprising a recurring units represented by a formula selected from the group consisting of formula (I) and (II): ##STR00001## wherein A comprises at least one acetal group; B is selected from the group consisting of --CH--, --CH(CH.sub.3)--, CH.sub.2CH--, --CH.sub.2C(CH.sub.3)--, --CH(CH.sub.3)CH--, and --CHCH(CH.sub.3)CH(CH.sub.3)--; Z is selected from the group consisting of C(O)OR.sup.1, C(O)SR.sup.1, C(O)NR.sup.1R.sup.2, and VU; V is a linker group; U is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethyleneimine), poly(propyleneimine), poly(lysine), PAMAM dendrimer, octaamine dendrimer, hexadecaamine dendrimer, enhancer, and targeting receptor; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl, and C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 aryl; D is a linkage selected from the group consisting of carboxylic amide, carboxylic ester, urea, and urethane; and G is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.4 to C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.10 aryl, and --(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.n--, where n is in the range of 1 to about 250, are useful in nucleic acid delivery applications. In preferred embodiments, complexes formed between polyacetals of the formulae (I) or (II) and polynucleotides are useful as transfection reagents.