Compounds and compositions for intracellular delivery of agents

1. A compound having one of the formulae (I), (Ib), or (III):

or a salt or isomer thereof, wherein

ring A is

t is 1 or 2;

A 1 and A 2 are each independently selected from CH or N;

A 3 is CH or N;

A 4 is CH 2 or NH; and at least one of A 3 and A 4 is N or NH;

A 6 and A 7 are each independently selected from CH or N, wherein at least one of A 6 and A 7 is N;

Z is CH 2 or absent wherein when Z is CH 2 , the dashed lines (1) and (2) each represent a single bond; and when Z is absent, the dashed lines (1) and (2) are both absent;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of C 5-20 alkyl, C 5-20 alkenyl, —R″MR′, —R*YR″, —YR″, and —R*OR″;

each M is independently selected from the group consisting of —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —OC(O)O—, —C(O)N(R′)—, —N(R′)C(O)—, —C(O)—, —C(S)—, —C(S)S—, —SC(S)—, —CH(OH)—, —P(O)(OR′)O—, —S(O) 2 —, an aryl group, and a heteroaryl group;

X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of a bond, —CH 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 2 —, —CHR—, —CHY—, —C(O)—, —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)—CH 2 —, —CH 2 —C(O)—, —C(O)O—CH 2 —, —OC(O)—CH 2 —, —CH 2 —C(O)O—, —CH 2 —OC(O)—, —CH(OH)—, —C(S)—, and —CH(SH)—;

X 4 and X 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 2 —, —CHR—, —CHY—, —C(O)—, —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)—CH 2 —, —CH 2 —C(O)—, —C(O)O—CH 2 —, —OC(O)—CH 2 —, —CH 2 —C(O)O—, —CH 2 —OC(O)—, —CH(OH)—, —C(S)—, and —CH(SH)—;

each Y is independently a C 3-6 carbocycle;

each R* is independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-12 alkyl and C 2-12 alkenyl;

each R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-3 alkyl and a C 3-6 carbocycle;

each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-12 alkyl, C 2-12 alkenyl, and H; and

each R″ is independently selected from the group consisting of C 3-12 alkyl and C 3-12 alkenyl,

wherein when the compound is of Formula (I), and

ring A is

then

i) at least one of X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 is not —CH 2 —; and/or

ii) at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 is —R″MR′; or

wherein when the compound is of Formula (I) and ring A is

and X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 are each —CH 2 —, then

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of C 6-20 alkyl and C 6-20 alkenyl and

when ring A is

then

i) R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 are the same, wherein R 1 is not C 12 alkyl, C 18 alkyl, or C 18 alkenyl;

ii) only one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 is selected from C 6-20 alkenyl;

iii) at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 have a different number of carbon atoms than at least one other of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 ;

iv) R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected from C 6-20 alkenyl, and R 4 and R 5 are selected from C 6-20 alkyl; or

v) R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected from C 6-20 alkyl, and R 4 and R 5 are selected from C 6-20 alkenyl.

2. The compound of claim 1 , being of formula (IIa):

3. The compound of claim 1 , being of formula (IIIa):

4. A nanoparticle composition comprising a lipid component comprising a compound according to claim 1 .

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is:

or a salt or isomer thereof.

6. The compound of claim 1 , being of formula (I):

7. The compound of claim 6 , wherein ring A is

8. The compound of claim 7 , wherein ring A is

9. The compound of claim 8 , wherein ring A is

in which the N atom is connected with X 2 .

10. The compound of claim 6 , wherein ring A is

11. The compound of claim 10 , wherein ring A is

12. The compound of claim 11 , wherein ring A is

in which the N atom is connected with X 2 .

13. The compound of claim 1 , being of formula (Ib).

14. The compound of claim 13 , wherein

each M is independently selected from the group consisting of —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)N(R′)—, —N(R′)C(O)—, —C(O)—, —C(S)—, —C(S)S—, —SC(S)—, —CH(OH)—, —P(O)(OR′)O—, —S(O) 2 —, an aryl group, and a heteroaryl group.

15. The compound of claim 1 , being of formula (III).

16. The nanoparticle composition of claim 4 , wherein the lipid component further comprises: (i) a phospholipid; (ii) a structural lipid, and/or (iii) a PEG lipid.

17. The nanoparticle composition of claim 4 , further comprising a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent selected from a vaccine or a compound capable of eliciting an immune response, a nucleic acid and a ribonucleic acid (RNA).

18. The nanoparticle composition of claim 17 , wherein the RNA is selected from the group consisting of a small interfering RNA (siRNA), an asymmetrical interfering RNA (aiRNA), a microRNA (miRNA), a Dicer-substrate RNA (dsRNA), a small hairpin RNA (shRNA), a messenger RNA (mRNA), and mixtures thereof.

19. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the nanoparticle composition of claim 17 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

20. A method of delivering a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent to a mammalian cell or organ, the method comprising administering to a subject the nanoparticle composition of claim 17 , said administering comprising contacting the cell or organ with the nanoparticle composition, whereby the therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent is delivered to the cell.

21. A method of producing a polypeptide of interest in a mammalian cell, the method comprising contacting the cell with the nanoparticle composition of claim 17 , wherein the therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent is an mRNA, and wherein the mRNA encodes the polypeptide of interest, whereby the mRNA is capable of being translated in the cell to produce the polypeptide of interest.

22. A method of treating a disease or disorder in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of the nanoparticle composition of claim 17 .