Drug carrier having self-assembled 3-d nucleic acid nanostructure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a molecule delivery technology and a carrier technology, which may selectively deliver a material to a desired specific cell and living tissue. The present invention may be utilized in the field of a drug carrier which effectively delivers an imaging probe and a therapeutic agent to an affected part.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of in vivo delivering a pharmaceutically active ingredient specifically to a target tissue, using a self-assembled 3-D nucleic acid nanostructure as a drug carrier. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drug carrier does not comprise a targeting ligand for the tissue. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drug carrier has an L-DNA nanostructure, and the tissue is cancer tissue. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the drug carrier has a structure selected from L-DNA tetrahedron, L-DNA pentahedron, L-DNA hexahedron and L-DNA octahedron. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the drug carrier has a tetrahedron structure composed of 4 strands of L-DNA 55 mer or 4 strands of L-DNA 92 mer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drug carrier has a D-DNA nanostructure, and the tissue is liver, skin, or kidney tissue. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the drug carrier has a tetrahedron nanostructure composed of 4 strands of D-DNA 55 mer, and the tissue is liver tissue. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the drug carrier has a tetrahedron nanostructure composed of 4 strands of D-DNA 92 mer, and the tissue is kidney tissue. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of an anticancer agent, a contrast medium, a nucleic acid, an aptamer, an antisense nucleic acid, an oligonucleotide, a peptide, a siRNA, and a micro RNA. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically active ingredient is encapsulated within the nucleic acid nanostructure or bonded to the backbone of the nucleic acid nanostructure, and thereby delivered to the tissue. 
     
     
         11 . A method of in vivo delivering an anticancer agent specifically to cancer cells, comprising administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising a self-assembled 3-D nucleic acid nanostructure drug carrier and the anticancer agent 
     
     
         12 . A method of in vivo delivering a contrast medium specifically to a target tissue for in vivo imaging, comprising administering pharmaceutical composition comprising a self-assembled 3-D nucleic acid nanostructure drug carrier and the contrast medium.