Intracellular delivery of biological effectors

Abstract

The invention relates to sequences of amino acids with the capacity to facilitate transport of an effector across a biological membrane. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel peptide transporters that specifically target certain cell types for the intracellular delivery of drugs and therapeutic agents.

1 . A multimeric transporter peptide according to Formula I,  
         [P] v -[Spacer] x -Core-[Linker] y -[Reporter] z    (I)  
       wherein P is a transporter peptide, comprising at least one amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 a) (X m RX o RX n );  
 b) (X m RRRX n );  
 c) (X m RRXRX n ); and  
 d) (X m RXRRX n ),  
 wherein 
 X is a non-basic amino acid;  
 m is an integer from zero to fourteen;  
 n is an integer, independent of m, between zero and fourteen;  
 o is an integer, independent of m and n, between zero and five;  
 v is an integer from two to eight;  
 x, y and z, are, independently, zero or one; and  
 wherein each P can be the same or different, and said transporter peptide is capable of translocating across a biological membrane.