Compositions for delivery of therapeutics and other materials, and methods of making and using the same

1. A biocompatible composition comprising a metal ion bridge wherein the metal ion bridge comprises: a polyamino acid carrier with a first metal binding domain (MBD), a metal ion chelated to the first metal binding domain of the carrier, an active agent with a second MBD chelated to the metal ion, and one or more protective side chains covalently bonded to the polyamino acid wherein after administration of the composition to a patient, the active agent is released from the carrier.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyamino acid has a molecular weight ranging from about 100 to about 1,000,000 daltons.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyamino acid has a molecular weight ranging from about 10,000 to about 250,000 daltons.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises poly-lysine.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the protective side chain comprises poly(ethylene glycol).

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the protective side chain comprises alkoxy poly(ethyleneglycol).

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the protective side chain comprises methoxy poly(ethyleneglycol) (MPEG).

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first or second MBD comprises a nitrogen containing poly carboxylic acid.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first or second MBD comprises one or more of the following:

N-(hydroxy-ethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid;

nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA);

ethylene-bis(oxyethylene-nitrilo)tetraacetic acid;

1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclodo-decane-N ,N′,N″,N′″-tetraacetic acid;

1,4,7,10-tetraaza-cyclododecane-N,N′,N″-triacetic acid;

1,4,7-tris(carboxymethyl)-10-(2′-hydroxypropyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazocyclodecane;

1,4,7-triazacyclonane-N,N′,N″-triacetic acid;

1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetra-decane-N,N′,N″,N′″-tetraacetic acid;

diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA);

ethylenedicysteine;

bis(aminoethanethiol)carboxylic acid;

triethylenetetraamine-hexaacetic acid;

ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA);

1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid; or

polypeptide.

10. The composition of the claim 9 , wherein the first or second MBD comprises a polypeptide and the polypeptide has the formula: (AxHy)p where A is any amino acid residue, H is histidine, x is an integer from 0–6; y is an integer from 1–6; and p is an integer from 1–6.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal ion is a transition metal ion.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal ion is one or more of the following: Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , Co 2+ , Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ , or Cu 2+ .

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the active agent is one of the following: a diagnostic, targeting moiety, or therapeutic agent.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein more than one type of active agent is present.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the active agent comprises one or more of the following: a protein, peptide, peptidomimetic, deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, other nucleic acid, oligonucleotide, oligosaccharide or proteoglycan.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises polylysine, the protective side chain comprises MPEG, the first or second MBD comprises NTA, the metal ion is Ni 2+ , and the active agent is rhGH.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises polylysine, the protective side chain comprises MPEG, the first or second MBD comprises NTA, the metal ion is Zn 2+ , and the active agent is rhGH.

18. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the composition of claim 1 .

19. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 18 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is an aerosol.

20. A method of imaging, comprising:

administering to a patient a biocompatible compositions with a metal ion bridge, wherein the biocompatible composition with a metal ion bridge comprises a carrier with a first metal binding domain (MBD), a metal ion chelated to the first MBD of the carrier, and an imaging agent with a second MBD chelated to the metal ion; and

monitoring the imaging agent remotely to generate an image.

21. A kit comprising the composition of claim 1 , and instructions for administering the composition to a patient.

22. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the active agent is an antibody.

23. The composition of claim 22 , wherein the antibody is an antibody fragment.

24. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the active agent is a small molecule.

25. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the active agent is selected from the group consisting of factor VII, factor VIII, insulin, growth factors, hormones, cytokines, growth hormones, nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotophic factor, enzymes, endostatin, angiostatin, trombospondin, urokinase, and interferon.

26. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the active agent is selected from the group consisting of norethindrone, digoxigenin, carborane nucleotides, antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, calicheamicins, esperamicins, dynemicin, neocarzinostatin chromophore, kedarcidin chromophore, tamoxifen, sugar oligomers, rhodamine 123, radionuclides, and ricin.

27. A method of treating a patient for a hormone deficiency comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a biocompatible composition comprising a metal ion bridge wherein the metal ion bridge comprises: a carrier with a first metal binding domain (MBD), a metal ion chelated to the first metal binding domain of the carrier, and an active agent with a second MBD chelated to the metal ion, wherein the active agent is a human growth hormone.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the human growth hormone is rhGH.