Peptidic self-assembly for nucleic acid delivery

1. A method for cellular delivery of a therapeutic from an aggregate, comprising administering a pharmaceutical composition which comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and aggregate formed from a peptide-conjugate wherein the peptide-conjugate comprises:

a peptide that is a substrate for a transferrin receptor (TFRC) or a receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) and that is the peptide of SEQ ID NO. 1, the peptide of SEQ ID NO. 2 or a peptide which is at least 80% identical to the peptide of SEQ ID NOs. 1 or 2;

a cysteine residue at the N-terminus of the peptide wherein a thiol group from the cysteine residue forms a disulfide bridge with other peptide-conjugates to promote self-assembly of the aggregate;

at least one hydrophobic molecule covalently attached to the amino group of the cysteine residue that promotes formation of the aggregate, wherein the hydrophobic molecule is selected from a compound that has at least one carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring or a linear carbon chain of at least three carbon atoms, or a photoactive molecule or a fluororophore that operates at either visible or near-infrared spectrum;

an optional linker located between the at least one hydrophobic molecule and the peptide;

and a therapeutic agent or pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregate is in a particulate form having a particle size of at least 2 nm in diameter or in a fiber form having a width of at least 2 nm and a length of at least 5 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a nucleic acid comprising at least two nucleotides.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the nucleic acid is in the form of siRNA, circular siRNA, linear DNA, plasmid DNA, shRNA, miRNA, an antisense molecule, locked nucleic acids, aptamer, peptide nucleic acids, splice modulating oligonucleotide, nucleic acid attached to an enzyme, therapeutic nucleic acid and an expression conjugate that comprises a nucleic acid that encodes a therapeutic protein.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the therapeutic agent is covalently linked to at least one hydrophobic molecule selected from a compound that has at least one carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the hydrophobic molecule linked to the therapeutic agent is a photosensitive molecule.

7. The method of claim 6 , where the photosensitive molecule is a fluorophore operating in the visible or near infrared spectrum.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising irradiating the aggregate with electromagnetic radiation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the release of the therapeutic agent is accelerated following exposure to a light source with a broad range of electromagnetic wavelength.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is physically entrapped within the aggregate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from: an active pharmaceutical grade nucleic acid, a pharmaceutical grade pro-drug nucleic acid, a pharmaceutical nucleic acid conjugate and a diagnostic nucleic acid agent.

12. The method claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is in a solid form.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is in a liquid form.

14. The method claim 1 , further comprising contacting a mammalian cell having a transferrin receptor (TFRC) or a receptor for advanced glycation end-product (RAGE) or both receptors with the aggregate.

15. A method for delivering a therapeutically active nucleic acid comprising:

providing a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and aggregate formed from a peptide-conjugate wherein the peptide-conjugate comprises:

a peptide that is a substrate for a transferrin receptor (TFRC) or a receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) and that is the peptide of SEQ ID NO. 1, the peptide of SEQ ID NO. 2 or a peptide which is at least 80% identical to the peptide of SEQ ID NOs. 1 or 2;

a cysteine residue at the N-terminus of the peptide wherein a thiol group from the cysteine residue forms a disulfide bridge with other peptide-conjugates to promote self-assembly of the aggregate;

at least one hydrophobic molecule covalently attached to the amino group of the cysteine residue that promotes formation of the aggregate, wherein the hydrophobic molecule is selected from a compound that has at least one carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring or a linear carbon chain of at least three carbon atoms, or a photoactive molecule or a fluorophore that operates at either visible or near-infrared spectrum; and

an optional linker located between the at least one hydrophobic molecule and the peptide;

pharmaceutically acceptable salts or esters thereof wherein the aggregate further comprises a nucleic acid;

contacting a mammalian cell having a transferrin receptor (TFRC) or a receptor for advanced glycation end-product (RAGE) or both receptors with the aggregate; and

irradiating the aggregate with a photonic source thereby photodynamically releasing the nucleic acid.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mammalian cell is from a mammalian tissue selected from the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, liver, spleen, brain, kidney, lungs, pancreas, bladder, eye, skin, normal and pathologic blood vessels, and cancer cells.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the contacting step further comprises administering an effective amount of the aggregate to a patient in need thereof to treat a disorder.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the disorder is a central nervous system disorder, cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, cardiovascular disorder, atherosclerosis, eye disorder, or diabetes.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregate is either in the form of a spherical particle that associates with TFRC, or in the form of a fiber that associates with RAGE.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid is in the form of siRNA, circular siRNA, linear DNA, plasmid DNA, shRNA, miRNA, an antisense molecule, locked nucleic acids, aptamer, peptide nucleic acids, splice modulating oligonucleotide, nucleic acid attached to an enzyme, therapeutic nucleic acid and an expression conjugate that comprises a nucleic acid that encodes a therapeutic protein.