Lipopeptides for delivery of nucleic acids

1. A compound having the structure shown in Formula I:

R 3 -J-{NR N —CR 1 R 2 —(C═O)} n —Z—R 4   Formula I

wherein

{NR N —CR 1 R 2 —(C═O)} n is central peptide HHHHHKHHHKKKHKHKKK SEQ ID NO:15);

R 3 and R 4 are independently of one another, a lipophilic tail derived from a naturally-occurring or synthetic lipid, phospholipid, glycolipid, triacylglycerol, glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, ceramide, sphingomyelin, cerebroside, or ganglioside, wherein the tail may contain a steroid, or an organic group consisting of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and hydrogen atoms, and having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted C(1-22)alkyl, C(6-12)cycloalkyl, C(6-12)cycloalkyl-alkyl, C(3-18)alkenyl, C(3-18)alkynyl, or C(1-5)alkoxy-C(1-5)alkyl, or a sphinganine, (2R,3R)-2-amino-1,3-octadecanediol, icosasphinganine, sphingosine, phytosphingosine, cis-4-sphingenine, or a ceramide;

Z is NH, O, or a linker comprising a maleimido, thioether, amide, cysteamide, cysteine, thiol, or a disulfide group, or a polyethyleneoxide or polypropyleneoxide group comprising 1-400 atoms, or a linker comprising 1-200 atoms selected from the group of C, H, F, Cl, Br, N, O, S, Si, and P;

J is (C═O), O, or a linker comprising a maleimido, thioether, amide, cysteamide, cysteine, thiol, or disulfide group, or a polyethyleneoxide or polypropyleneoxide group comprising 1-400 atoms, or a linker comprising 1-200 atoms selected from the group of C, H, F, Cl, Br, N, O, S, Si, and P

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein a functional group is linked to a side chain of the central peptide HHHHHKHHHKKKHKHKKK (SEQ ID NO:15), wherein the functional group is selected from the side chain of 3,5-diiodo-tyrosine, 1-methylhistidine, and 2-methylbutanoic acid, or is selected from 2-o-anisylpropanoic acid, meso-tartaric acid, 4,6-dimethylpyrimidinamine, p-phthalic acid, creatinine, butanoic acid, N,N-dimethyl-1-naphthylamine, pentanoic acid, 4-methylpentanoic acid, N-methylaniline, 1,10-phenanthroline, 3-pyridinecarboxylic acid, hexanoic acid, propanoic acid, 4-animobenzoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, quinoline, 3-quinolinamine, 2-aminobenzoic acid, 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid, nonanoic acid, melamine, 8-quinolinol, trimethylacetic acid, 6-methoxyquinoline, 4-(methylamino)benzoic acid, p-methylaniline, 3-(methylamino)benzoic acid, malic acid, N-ethylaniline, 2-benzylpyridine, 3,6-dinitrophenol, N,N-dimethylaniline, 2,5-dimethylpiperazine, p-phenetidine, 5-methylquinoline, 2-phenylbenzimidazole, pyridine, picolinic acid, p-anisidine, 2-(methylamino)benzoic acid, 2-thiazolamine, glutaric acid, adipic acid, isoquinoline, itaconic acid, o-phthalic acid, benzimidazole, piperazine, heptanedioic acid, acridine, phenanthridine, succinic acid, methylsuccinic acid, 4-methylquinoline, 3-methylpyridine, 7-isoquinolinol, malonic acid, methylmalonic acid, 2-methylquinoline, 2-ethylpyridine, 2-methylpyridine, 4-methylpyridine, histamine, histidine, maleic acid, cis-1,2-cyclohexanediamine, 3,5-dimethylpyridine, 2-ethylbenzimidazole, 2-methylbenzimidazole, cacodylic acid, perimidine, citric acid, isocitric acid, 2,5-dimethylpyridine, papaverine, 6-hydroxy-4-methylpteridine, L-thyroxine, 3,4-dimethylpyridine, methoxypyridine, trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine, 2,5-pyridinediamine, l-1-methylhistidine, l-3-methylhistidine, 2,3-dimethylpyridine, xanthopterin, 1,2-propanediamine, N,N-diethylaniline, alloxanic acid, 2,6-dimethylpyridine, L-carnosine, 2-pyridinamine, N-b-alanylhistidine, pilocarpine, 1-methylimidazol, 1H-imidazole, 2,4-dimethylpyridine, 4-nitrophenol, 2-nitrophenol, tyrosineamide, 5-hydoxyquinazoline, 1,1-cyclopropanedicarboxylic acid, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine, 2,3-dichlorophenol, 1,2-ethanediamine, 1-isoquinolinamine, and combinations thereof.

3. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid agent and one or more compounds according to claim 1 .

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the nucleic acid agent is an mdRNA.

5. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the nucleic acid agent is an siRNA.

6. The composition of claim 3 , further comprising a non-cationic lipid.

7. The composition of claim 3 , further comprising a polymeric lipid.

8. A method for delivering an interfering RNA agent to a cell comprising preparing a composition according to claim 3 and treating a cell with the composition.

9. A method for inhibiting expression of a gene in a cell comprising preparing a composition according to claim 3 and treating a cell with the composition.

10. A method for inhibiting expression of a gene in a mammal comprising preparing a composition according to claim 3 and administering the composition to the mammal.

11. A method for treating the signs and symptoms of a disease, disorder, or condition in a subject selected from cancer, a proliferative disease, disorder, or condition, a metabolic disease, disorder, or condition, an inflammatory disease, disorder, or condition, and a viral infection by providing a composition of claim 5 and administering the composition to the subject.